TOLEDO, Ohio — While everyone is doing their best to escape the heat, Toledo firefighters and first responders can't avoid it.
During a ride-along Wednesday, they share their experience of what it takes to save lives when it's this hot outside.
The hottest day of the year is a busy one for the Toledo Fire & Rescue Department.
"We got a lot of drills throughout the day. A lot of EMS calls compared to fire. Especially right now during the heat. A lot of heat you know emergencies," Derrick Ford, a probation firefighter with TFRD, said.
On a day like this, Ford and others can respond to an average of 180 to 190 calls for help.
But with heat like this comes unique struggles, TFRD Pvt. Sterling Rahe says.
"The challenge with what we're doing right now is a lot of our runs come in the same way," Rahe said. "With an ill person, a diabetic, chest pain, difficulty breathing, and sometimes it can be related to the heat."
WTOL 11 rides along as they respond to a call for a person working outside in heavy clothing who appears to have overheated.
Toledo fire crews rush to help.
It's not just saving lives; they have to look out for one another. Especially if there's a fire in temperatures like this.
Fighting a fire on a record-breaking hot day means fighting a potential core body temperature of 130 degrees.
"It's like an inferno and we train for it every day," Ford said. "But it is very, very, very hot."
Staying hydrated is key, as is being prepared.
"Dress accordingly, try to dress as cool as you can," Rahe said. "You may not think that you're getting overheated but if you're not drinking enough water, you're dehydrated. It'll come on a lot quicker."
And when it comes, it's time to call first responders.
Their priority is giving their community the medical care it needs to keep people healthy all year-round.
"I dreamed about this job just as I was a little kid. So it is, I would say, my honor to serve the community in the best way possible, whether it's hot outside, whether it's cold," Ford said. "And I love it, even when it's hot outside. I love it right now."
To help firefighters along the way, give dispatchers very detailed information when you call in.
They say it helps them be the most prepared they can be when responding.
