Here Comes Dallas Fire (Heat) Rescue
By OMAR VILLAFRANCA
Updated 8:49 AM CDT, Sat, Jul 4, 2009
Heat calls are a summer ritual for Dallas Fire-Rescue crews.
When the temperature rises to triple digits, the crew at Station 18 in downtown Dallas gets ready for heat-related calls.
Robert Fritz, a rookie with DFR, said they always ask people needing treatment if they're hydrating properly.
"We always ask if they're drinking enough water, and they say they drink water, but it's never enough for the Texas heat plus the humidity," he said.
When the temperature reaches more than 100 degrees for several days, DFR crews start carrying around ice. Crews at unit 18 have already started, saying ice packs are the quickest way to cool overheated patients down.
"We use ice," Fritz said. "We really don't carry any drinking water, but we can always give them IV fluids, and usually that's going to cure them up pretty quick."
First Published: Jul 3, 2009 9:33 PM CDT
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