It is getting to be that time of year again.  The time of year at the firehouse where we limit our time outside; where pre-plans and cutting the lawn can wait until it is not so unbearably hot.  Depending on where you work -and how much your chief cares- you may be allowed to dress “down” to t-shirts or wear shorts during the day.  The title of this article, “Beat the Heat,” might seem self-explanatory due to the precautions we take during the summer months in our line of work.  However, the regular preaching of “drinking water,” although important, has very little to do with what I am going to say.

About half of on-duty firefighter deaths have to do with cardiovascular and medical related incidents.  It is no secret that our job is stressful.  However, this can be intensified due to overwhelming heat stress during the summer months. Not only is it hot outside, but being in gear can add 10 degrees, not to mention the physical exertion you are doing in addition to that.  With temperatures like these, it is imperative that our bodies be ready.  In fact, it is our duty to make sure we are physically conditioned to fight fire in whatever climate we live.

I am going to let you in on a secret. Depending on where you live, it gets hot every year around June and July.  There is no excuse for not being able to acclimate yourself to your environment. This goes for cold weather as well.  Acclimatization, easier said as heat tolerance, is simply adjusting your body to your environment.  I am not going to lecture about getting into some type of fitness program or routine. I assume we are all doing that since our job dictates that we be fit to take care of our customers and each other. 

So, how do we acclimatize our bodies?  First things first, let’s change our habits a bit.  Just because it is hot outside, it doesn’t mean we should completely stop our normal routine. Its fine to alter it or spend less time doing it, but don’t let that couch take the next five years of your career.  The idea is to get our bodies used to the intense heat so that when we have to work in it, it doesn’t get the better of us. 

Did you know that for every degree the body’s internal temperature rises, the heart beats approximately 10 bpm faster?  If we can keep our core body temperature down, we can keep our heart rate down, thereby getting out of rehab quicker.  It can take up to 14 days to properly acclimatize your body and, thankfully, the process is simple.  When you do your regular physical training, do it in the heat.  Exercising up to 14 days in the heat should get your body used to working in those temperatures.  Start out slow by keeping the intensity level high and the amount of time spent outdoors low. In doing so, your body will get the full workout with the increased temperatures.  Gradually work up to your normal routine in the heat. 

Now, you may ask, what is this heat tolerance going to do for me? Essentially, this means that your body has an increased ability to dissipate heat.  This mostly has to do with a higher blood volume.  Adaptations that occur during heat acclimatization include the earlier onset of sweating, higher sweat rates, increased blood volume, lower body core temperature and a lower heart rate during exertion.  High-intensity exercises commonly have sweating rates of 1.0-2.5 Liters.  Obviously, if I am sweating more, I need to be drinking more water.  Be careful - coffee and soda will dehydrate you. 

            We can be on the most grueling workout program ever and still be put into situations where more is demanded of us than we can deliver.  Getting overheated is part of the job.  That’s why we have a rehab sector.  Even though we now know how to delay getting overheated, we still need to be able to recognize the signs to pull ourselves out of the game in time.  The medical opinion may differ slightly in definitions, but the idea is the same.

            Signs and symptoms of being overheated can differ for everyone, but generally include:  thirst, muscle cramps, dizziness, rapid heart rate, difficulty breathing, headache, nausea, vomiting and weakness.  Don’t rely on thirst as an indicator of your body’s need for fluids.  By the time you’re thirsty you are already 3% dehydrated.  When you have down time, keep an eye on your urine.  You want it to be clear of sediment, just a touch yellow and high in volume - often said as, “clear and copious”  

We can get our bodies ready for that intense heat before we get “the big one”.  When we are pushed passed our limits, we can recognize when we have had enough.  Now you know what you can do to beat the heat this summer.  FTM - PTB

Stay safe out there.  For more information on this topic, visit the Web links below.

http://sportsci.org/encyc/heataccl/heataccl.html

http://www.hss.edu/conditions_14593.asp

Jamie Barnes

Fire Fighter/Paramedic, Rescue-2A

Franklin Fire Department, Tennessee