SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Most of us stay inside during the painfully cold temperatures we're experiencing this week, but emergency responders have no choice but to head out in the harsh conditions.
Firefighters have to learn to adapt to the freezing weather to ensure they're ready to protect the community.
28/22 News Reporter Kathryn Oleary explains how they prepare to fight fires when the temperature drops.
When temperatures plummet, fighting fires become an even bigger challenge.
"For our men and women riding in the trucks here in the city of Scranton, you know they're packing extra clothing with them, gloves, hats, socks, sweatshirts," said Scranton Fire Department Chief John Judge.
A big concern is the water freezing. Firefighters have to take extra precautions to keep the hoses, tanks, and pumps from icing over.
"We'll make sure the lines continue to flow a little bit of water. We'll be mindful of the pumps on our apparatus. There's a way we can recirculate water so that it doesn't freeze while it's in the tank 'cause it's a lot more difficult to freeze moving water than if it's just stagnant in the tank," Chief Judge continued.
Communication with DPW is also critical as water is poured to battle a blaze, and ice can build up quickly, creating slippery conditions, not just for first responders, but also for the community.
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"You know, working those partnerships with the police department and our DPW, who immediately come out start putting salt down in that area, is important and making that after we're leaving that area that we're able to return that community, and those roadways to a state of where people can actually travel on them," Chief Judge explained.
On the bright side, the cold conditions provide opportunities for winter-specific training.
"We do some specialized technical rescue training during this time Last week, we sent a couple of our members for an ice rescue class, cause we have to have ice on a body of water and until you get these deep freezes, the ice doesn't accumulate," Chief Judge continued.
Keeping up with the forecast also helps firefighters prepare for extreme conditions.
"Put a reminder out, hey listen we're going to be dealing with some pretty frigid temperatures over the next week or two let's make sure we're prepared so that when we go out there we can perform at the, in an effective and efficient manner," Chief Judge added.
To best practice fire safety, be sure to check your carbon monoxide alarms and keep flammable objects away from space heaters.
