PHOENIX — Temperatures crossed the 110-degree mark once again over the weekend.
“We’re lucky we don’t have to deal with snow here in the Valley, so this is our snow,” Glendale Fire Department Captain Steve Orsini said. “This is our hard time of year.”
In triple-digit temperatures, a fire can quickly stress and empty the air packs of even the fittest firefighters.
“When you run out of air, it’s time to take a quick little break get new air, and go back to work,” Orsini said.
To allow for breaks, Orsinis said crews responding in the summer are typically about double the size of what is necessary in the winter — requiring departments to help each other.
“In these extreme temperatures, we need more manpower and no one department can house all that manpower,” Rural Metro Fire Department Public Information Officer Shawn Gilleland said.
The hot temperatures only get more unbearable amid flames, heavy hoses to pull, and lots of gear that's not exactly breathable.
“It would be like putting on your best snowsuit and then going out in 110 degrees and then start doing some physical labor,” Gilleland said.
And in addition to fighting fires, crews also respond to medical calls and mountain rescues.
“They have to have the physical ability to hike three miles in during these temperatures to be prepared for something like that,” Gilleland said. “They’re still feeling the elements like everybody else.”
When they’re battling the elements, firefighters know they need to drink at least a gallon of water a day to be ready.
The biggest thing is the day before we’re pre-hydrating,” Orsini said. “Because if we’re hydrating today for today, we’re already behind the curveball.”
And for the men and women that do the job the more than 60 pounds of gear can feel light in action.
“It’s definitely a challenge but it’s extremely rewarding,” Gilleland said. “I think if you talk to most firefighters they would say this is the best job there ever was.”
