MANCHESTER, Conn. — A recent run of 90-degree temperatures has made life uncomfortable across Connecticut but for firefighters, there are more rigors of the job this week.
“It’s really just additional heat stress,” said Battalion Chief Craig Webb from the Manchester Fire Department.
Webb was leading a crew on call when temperatures and humidity were soaring. Webb said the Manchester Fire Department is especially in tune with physical fitness.
“You need to be ready for this -- years ahead of time, physical conditioning, cardiovascular health and you have got to hydrate,” said Webb from the fire station on Center Street in Manchester.
Battalion Chief Gordon MacMillan, who has more than a quarter century of experience at the Manchester Fire Department stressed the added protocols his department enforces during a heat wave.
“At structure fires, we will set up re-hab for them,” then MacMillan added, “we take a set of vitals, we encourage them to drink water, take their gear off, we have cooling chairs that they can sit in.”
After returning from a rescue call of an injured person at a nearby home, Webb added the heat can’t hamper their missions, “it doesn’t matter what is going on out here, we have got to get out the door and we have got to be effective at our jobs.”
Jimmy Altman is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at jaltman@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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