LAKE HAVASU CITY, AZ — Squeezing every last drop out of the summer season — that's the name of the game at Lake Havasu! Even though Summer 2024 is heading towards the history books, Arizona's extreme heat isn't yet done with us.
"I think the biggest mistake people make is that they underestimate how fast the temperature will change in the summertime," explains Jasen Stello, Deputy Chief of Operations for the Lake Havasu City Fire Department.
On June 29, 1994, Lake Havasu City recorded Arizona's highest temperature - a whopping 128º Fahrenheit.
But Stello says that even when the mercury doesn't climb quite that high, the heat is still a major player on the lake.
"Our challenges come from when we have our visitors here, who maybe come from other climates," explains Stello. "If they're not familiar with how fast the weather changes and how fast the temperature rises, it can really cause a problem with not being properly hydrated or not paying attention or not knowing the signs to look for."
Signs can include heavy sweating, fainting, dizziness, and fatigue due to heat exhaustion, according to the Mayo Clinic. And for heat stroke, the Mayo Clinic says to look for an altered state of mind, nausea and vomiting, heavy breathing, and an elevated heartbeat.
Even just one time, getting some type of heat illness could prove to be deadly.
"Heat injuries in people or heat exhaustion, they are progressive," says Stello. "So once you have heat exhaustion or heat stroke, you are more likely to get it the next time."
And it's not just the people in the water that Lake Havasu firefighters are concerned about.
"You're here to protect this community, but as deputy chief, you want to make sure you're protecting your crew members as well," ABC15's Nick Ciletti says
"For sure, 100%," Stello replies. "Our main goal is to make sure our people get home safe."
And Stello says that means cycling his crewmembers in and out, especially when temperatures hit triple digits, and they are out in the extreme heat for timeframes longer than 20 minutes, and wearing nearly 50 pounds of gear.
"After that, we send them to what we call rehab, and in the rehab area, they do more core cooling - cooling their forearms, putting cold towels on them, cold water. They can get IV therapy there if they need to."
And they're not just IVs - they're chilled, on ice, which Stello says can make a big difference.
"You are trying to cool the core temperature down, and so that's going directly to the bloodstream. You're obviously bringing their temperature down and it takes a long time. You have to do active cooling measures. Our biggest thing is to get them out of the environment."
On the water, these Lake Havasu firefighters tell me they need to be just as prepared as they are back on dry land, with the department often serving as the first line of defense for people here.
Capt. Ryan Felish tells ABC15 that he and his crewmembers are ready to help anywhere on the Lake or the Colorado River as part of a mutual aid agreement with surrounding departments.
"We run mostly medical calls," explains Capt. Felish. "People getting injured, sporting-related accidents, wakeboarding, surfers, tubers, cliff-jumping."
And then there are the actual fires the department faces - and a major tool to help them win the fight is perched right at the end of their fire boat - a massive hose, capable of spraying out a thousand gallons of water a minute!
"With normal lines, you're pretty much using a garden hose to fight a house fire versus getting a thousand gallons a minute; it's like bringing a big hammer to the fight."
Capt. Felish says it's also the pressure that comes with a hose like that, helping them douse fires even quicker with the most force possible.
But more than anything, members of the Lake Havasu City Fire Department tell ABC15 that no matter the location, the size, or the kind of emergency, they'll be ready - and just hope everyone can stay safe on the water and do their part.
