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South Fulton firefighters train in extreme heat
With summer temperatures heating up and expected to continue into next week, many across metro Atlanta are trying to find relief. Meanwhile, South Fulton firefighters are using the extreme heat as an added training tool. FOX 5 took a peek into one of their sessions.
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. - While most people are doing all they can to avoid being out in the mid-90 degree temperatures we've been seeing, South Fulton firefighters are using the heat as an added training tool.
They spent hours in the thick of it at Douglas County’s fire training facility. They say their goal is to be prepared no matter how high temperatures rise.
"We just have to be prepared at all times," South Fulton Fire Department's Eric Jackson said.
South Fulton firefighters are using this summer's high temperatures as an added tool for training for emergency responses.
"[This is] the type of occupation where anything can happen at any time, any day, and it doesn’t matter what the season is," Capt. Ralph Patterson said. "So, we’re out here getting acclimated to the heat."
South Fulton firefighters are using this summer's high temperatures as an added tool for training for emergency responses. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
The focus this session is rope rescue. Jackson said it could be used in a number of scenarios.
"Everything from stabilizing an unstable vehicle, to raising someone out of a canyon area off a road or even off the side of a building," he explained.
Capt. Ralph Patterson told FOX 5 the heavy gear firefighters wear already brings another added challenge in responding to emergencies during the summer months.
"We look out after each other, we know the signs of heat exhaustion [and] heat stroke. We pace ourselves," he said. "We take frequent stops, frequent breaks."
South Fulton firefighters are using this summer's high temperatures as an added tool for training for emergency responses.
Making sure crews stay hydrated and on high alert for signs of heat exhaustion is key, according to Jackson.
"We have to make sure that we watch out for those symptoms: Dry skin, high blood pressure, low pulse rate," he said.
With July declared the hottest on record, and that heat wave set to carry over into August, fire officials say there was no better time to brush up on best practices.
"We know at the end of the day, at the end of the shift, we have to be prepared, equipped, willing and able to do our jobs and do them to the best of our ability," Jackson said.