As temperatures in Phoenix hit a record-breaking 118 degrees, the city’s firefighters faced a surge in heat-related emergency calls. According to Fox 10 Phoenix, on August 7, first responders were kept busy amid the sweltering conditions, dealing with incidents that underscored the city's ongoing battle with extreme heat. In one case, a man experiencing homelessness collapsed with body cramps inside a pizza restaurant after enduring several days of intense heat, said Phoenix Fire Capt. Jerome Adams. In another critical incident at Steele Indian School Park, firefighters used a LUCAS device to perform CPR on a man whose body temperature had risen above 104 degrees.
Phoenix firefighters are experiencing an increase in calls amid the severe weather conditions. "We have a device called a LUCAS device, which is our automatic CPR machine," Phoenix Fire Capt. DJ Lee explained in a statement obtained by Fox 10 Phoenix. "Unfortunately, we do get quite a few of those [heat-related calls]. And sometimes, we get the really worst outcomes." Since May 1, the Phoenix Fire Department has handled over 130 heat-related calls and has used their cold water immersion treatment more than 85 times, highlighting the scale of the ongoing crisis.
In a similar vein, ABC15 provided an exclusive inside look at the Phoenix Fire Department’s response to the heat. Firefighter and paramedic Megan Lescoe told ABC15 during the ride-along, "whether you're in the shade or the sun, it doesn't matter. It's really dangerous for anybody." Lescoe attended to an individual found unconscious near a canal, demonstrating the complexity of assessing such emergencies when factors like drug use may exacerbate the effects of the heat.
In one case, crews acted quickly to administer Narcan, reversing a potential overdose. "Even if we waited an hour, he would have had a very different outcome," Lescoe emphasized, noting the combination of drugs and high temperatures. Phoenix Fire Captain Rob McDade explained, "What happens is the drugs can mask some of the other effects of the heat," describing the multifaceted challenges involved in these emergency responses, in a statement obtained by ABC15.
