First responders working in hot weather and helping community members in need

1 year ago 29

GUY. HEY, JASON, THANKS. WELL, THIS KIND OF HEAT PUTS ADDED STRESS ON PEOPLE WHO WORK OUTSIDE, INCLUDING FIREFIGHTERS AND STAYING HYDRATED IS ONE OF THEIR TOP PRIORITIES RIGHT NOW. WVTM 13, MAGDALA LOUISSAINT IS LIVE IN BIRMINGHAM TONIGHT WITH A LOOK AT HOW THESE GUYS ARE STAYING SAFE. WELL, GUY SHERRI, WE’RE NEAR THE BIRMINGHAM FIRE STATION SIX. THEY GET A LOT OF CALLS. WE’VE GOT FIREFIGHTERS COMING BACK FROM OCALA JUST NOW, RIGHT NOW ACTUALLY PULLING BACK IN. BUT BECAUSE THEY GET SO MANY CALLS, ESPECIALLY IN A WEEK WHERE WE ARE GOING TO BE EXPERIENCING THREE DIGIT TEMPERATURES, HAVING WATER AND KEEPING IT IN HAND AND FINISHING IT JUST LIKE I DID. WILL BE A PRIORITY AS THEY’VE SAID. AND NOW WE’VE SEEN THESE FIREFIGHTERS GOING OUT EARLIER TODAY. IT DOESN’T FEEL AS HOT AS IT DID EARLIER, BUT WE SAW THEM GOING OUT AND THIS IS WHY CAPTAIN ORLANDO REYNOLDS TELLS ME THEY’VE GOT WATER STACKED ON EVERY UNIT FOR THESE WORKING FOR THOSE WORKING TODAY AND THE REST OF THE WEEK. HE SAYS IT’S MANDATORY. FIREFIGHTERS ARE STAYING HYDRATED THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND THEY’RE LOOKING OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER. WENT ON THE SCENE OF AN EMERGENCY. THE MAIN THING, WATCH YOUR PARTNER WORK. IN SHORT DOSES, MAYBE 5 OR 10 MINUTES LESS THAN WHAT WE WOULD AND TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS. FULTONDALE POLICE OFFICERS ARE WATCHING OUT FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, TOO, IN THIS KIND OF WEATHER. JUST YESTERDAY, DETECTIVE LISA TURNER WITH THE DEPARTMENT SAYS AN 80 YEAR OLD WOMAN CALLED HER TO SAY HER AC UNIT STOPPED WORKING IN THE HOUSE WHILE TURNER JUMPED INTO ACTION AND DUG UP AN OLD WINDOW. AIR CONDITIONER FROM HER STORAGE UNIT TO GIVE IT TO THE ELDERLY. WOMAN OR THE TWO HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR A YEAR BECAUSE OF THE CITY’S FAIRLY NEW COMMUNITY BASED PROGRAM CALLED COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK. IT CONNECTS FULTONDALE POLICE OFFICERS WITH THE ELDERLY POPULATION. IT’S VERY HOT. SHE’S 80 YEARS OLD. SHE DIDN’T NEED TO BE IN HER HOUSE. I WENT IN THE HOUSE AND IT WAS 86 IN THE HOUSE, SO I KNEW I HAD TO GET HER SOMETHING TO, YOU KNOW, GET THE HOUSE COOL DOWN FOR. SO I WENT AND GOT THE UNIT THAT EVENING AND BROUGHT IT BACK TO HER AND WE PUT IT IN. A TURNER TELLS ME SHE CHECKED BACK IN WITH THAT WOMAN TODAY AND THAT AC STILL WORKS AND IT’S STILL PUSHING OUT THAT COOL, REFRESHING AIR. AS FOR BIRMINGHAM FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEY TELL ME THEY HAVE MOVED THEIR TRAINING SESSIONS. THEY’VE HAD SCHEDULED FOR THE AFTERNOON HOURS TO THE EARLY MORNINGS BECAUSE IT’S MUCH COOLER FOR THEM. WE’RE LIVE

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First responders working in hot weather and helping community members in need

Birmingham’s Fire Station 6 firefighters get the most calls compared to other stations in the city. So having water in hand for the next few days when the answering calls while Central Alabama experiences three-digit temperatures is a must. This is why Capt. Orlando Reynolds says they've got water stacked on every unit for those working Wednesday and the rest of the week. He says its mandatory firefighters are staying hydrated throughout the day and they're looking out for one another when on the scene of an emergency. "The main thing, watch your partner. Working in doses, maybe five or 10 minutes less than what we would and take frequent breaks,” Reynolds said.Fultondale police officers are watching out for community members, too, in this kind of weather. On Tuesday, Det. Lisa Turner with the department says an 80-year-old woman called her to say her air conditioning unit stopped working in the house. Turner jumped into action and dug up an old window air conditioner from her storage unit to give to the older woman. The two have known each other for a year because of the city's new community-based program called Community Action Network. It connects Fultondale police officers with the older population."It's very hot. She's 80 years old. She didn't need to be in her house, it was like 86 in the house. So, I knew I had to get her something to get the house cooled down for her. I went and got the unit brought it back and put it in for her,” Turner said.Turner says she checked back in with the older woman and the air conditioning unit still works, blowing out cool refreshing air. As for the Birmingham Fire Department, they say training they've scheduled for early afternoon hours this week has been moved to the mornings because it's much cooler at those times.

FULTONDALE, Ala. —

This is why Capt. Orlando Reynolds says they've got water stacked on every unit for those working Wednesday and the rest of the week. He says its mandatory firefighters are staying hydrated throughout the day and they're looking out for one another when on the scene of an emergency.

"The main thing, watch your partner. Working in doses, maybe five or 10 minutes less than what we would and take frequent breaks,” Reynolds said.

Fultondale police officers are watching out for community members, too, in this kind of weather.

On Tuesday, Det. Lisa Turner with the department says an 80-year-old woman called her to say her air conditioning unit stopped working in the house. Turner jumped into action and dug up an old window air conditioner from her storage unit to give to the older woman. The two have known each other for a year because of the city's new community-based program called Community Action Network. It connects Fultondale police officers with the older population.

"It's very hot. She's 80 years old. She didn't need to be in her house, it was like 86 in the house. So, I knew I had to get her something to get the house cooled down for her. I went and got the unit brought it back and put it in for her,” Turner said.

Turner says she checked back in with the older woman and the air conditioning unit still works, blowing out cool refreshing air. As for the Birmingham Fire Department, they say training they've scheduled for early afternoon hours this week has been moved to the mornings because it's much cooler at those times.

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