The city of Dallas offered cooling stations to help residents escape from the heat Monday as some first responders found their fire stations far from cool.
Volunteer Cylena Morris Smith is a "station mom" who looks after several Dallas Fire-Rescue stations. She said three have faulty air conditioning that leaves occupants sweating.
"It's very shocking since we're in the middle of a heat wave," she said.
Monday she delivered donated water to the stations.
"Sometimes it's easier to stay outside in the shade than go in the house and cool off which is such an embarrassment for the city of Dallas," Morris Smith said.
In a social media post, Dallas Firefighters Union President Jim McDade said the AC in the kitchen and dining area of Station 25 on 56th Street has been out for a month. He said a portable cooling unit cools it to about 90 degrees. At three-year-old Station 44 on Lagow Street near Dallas Fair Park, McDade said the AC has never worked properly and portable units there only "cool it off a bit."
Meanwhile, Dallas residents who do not have air conditioning were offered 15 cooling stations at city recreation and multipurpose centers.
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At the West Dallas Multipurpose Center on Fish Trap Road, a program for seniors also offered lunch and social activities.
Visitor Debra Brackens said she was between homes, living in her car, so she was thankful for the cooling station.
"I can eat and have something to drink and be in a cool place. And because I ain't got nowhere to go. I can't keep driving around because of gas," she said.
Some Dallas residents could not take the day off to stay in air conditioning.
At Reyes Muffler auto repair on Illinois Avenue at Interstate 35E, customer Kim Jones watched mechanics in the open-air shop repair the radiator that her car needs to stay cool.
"The shop area is really hot and also going into the bathroom is really hot, so they're working really hard in the heat," Jones said.
From the location she could also watch the construction workers who were busy with the Southern Gateway reconstruction project.
"My heart goes out to them," she said. "The heat is really, really hot."
A city of Dallas spokesperson did not reply Monday to a request for comment about the hot fire stations.