With record breaking temperatures Wednesday, and Thursday, the Yuma Fire Department shares how they keep their crews safe. โItโs not secret that Yuma is one of the hottest places on Earth so the Yuma Fire Departmentโs had to be creative,” said fire Captain David Padilla. In order to better ensure the firefighters’ safety YFD has set up a rehabilitation vehicle. The vehicle comes equipped with swamp coolers and additional water.
They will also have a rehab division which is a crew assigned to monitor the firefighters. โOur crews are getting rehabilitated getting plenty of fluids, whether thatโs through you know our sports drinks like electrolytes, or taking supplements that way, we monitor their vital signs, once theyโre cleared for the incident they go back to their stations,โ says Capt. Padilla. Capt. Padilla describes how it feels to be out battling fire in triple-digit temperatures.
โItโs rough and so days like today where weโre hitting 115, 116, we have to be cognizant of it, we limit our training during the day, and we try to limit how much our members are outside,โ he said. Capt. Padilla also shares how they train and prepare throughout these hot summer days. โOur dispatchers are monitoring the different flag levels, we have green, red, and black, if itโs a red flag day weโre limiting out door activity, if itโs a black flag day then weโre doing zero outdoor activity aside from running 9-1-1 calls,โ he says.
