How field workers in Michigan are braving the heat

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — With the heat hitting Central Michigan, most experts are advising people to stay indoors and take it easy, but outdoor workers must find other ways to escape the heat.

Kenneth Lay, deputy chief of operations for the Lansing Fire Department, says the recent heat is atypical for summer – at least here in Michigan.

“This heat wave is unusual for Michigan because it gets very hot very quickly,” says Lay. “We usually don’t get temperatures like this until August.”

A firefighter’s gear generally weighs between 50 and 60 pounds. If a firefighter has to respond to a fire or other emergency on extremely hot days and sweats profusely, it can seriously compromise the safety of their job. If the uniform gets wet, firefighters have to carry around about 30 pounds of extra weight.

To counteract this, the LFD takes precautions to ensure that its firefighters are not too hindered by the external conditions.

Firefighters will rotate duties more frequently and give each individual more breaks than usual to ensure everyone stays as cool as possible. LFD also has supplies such as ice packs, ice water and powerful air conditioning units on hand for those on duty.”

However, complete cooling is not the solution for working people who are outdoors all day.

“They understand that it’s not exactly pleasant to get in the air conditioning for 45 minutes and then jump back into the heat,” says Reed Martindale, Restoration Manager at EPM. “So it’s just a matter of slowing down.”

Martindale is very grateful for the goodwill and charity the public has shown him and his crew during the heatwave.

“We love being part of the community, whether it’s here, in Jackson or in Kalamazoo, and we just appreciate when people drive slow and be safe,” Martindale says. “It’s not uncommon for someone to give us free water or soda, so if we could continue that, that would be great.”