KANSAS CITY, Mo. — KCFD officials said they have a safety plan in place for firefighters exposed to extreme heat while working.
On Thursday, seven firefighters were treated for injuries while battling a four-alarm fire at a pallet warehouse Thursday afternoon. KCFD officials say around 160 firefighters were needed to fight the fire.
Three of them had to be transported to the hospital but only one remained in the hospital Friday morning. All three firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion or burns.
“This is a taxing job. It can be grueling. It’s bound to happen," said assistant fire chief Jimmy Walker.
Walker explained that firefighters are encouraged to drink plenty of fluids. There's also training on how to spot heat stress.
“Our incident commanders are trained and told repeatedly to keep an eye on your crews," Walker explained.
Walker added that KCFD has special command units equipped with air conditioning and water that comes out for large events like this one Thursday afternoon.
The assistant fire chief explained every firefighter has a story of on-the-job dangers, including his experience with heat exhaustion.
“Years ago, we had three working fires in one day. I was working at 31st and Indiana. By the time we got to the third fire, it was a hot day, I came outside, I was done. I was spent. I just could not do it anymore," explained Walker.
Walker said he spoke with the union representative for the injured firefighters and was told, 'everybody was good to go.'
