Dangerous heat leads to families, workers changing daily routines to stay safe

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Record-high temperatures and triple-digit heat index values are changing daily routines across Raleigh, with families and workers adjusting schedules and taking extra precautions to stay safe.

"Grab your water bottles and drink water. If I've said it once, I've said it a million times. You have to stay nice and hydrated and take shade breaks," said Kathleen Medaries, who brought her sons to Chavis Park Friday afternoon.

Chavis Park, Dix Park, and Moore Square were all largely quiet late morning and early afternoon, as people worked to avoid the hottest portions of the day.

"We provide proper hydration, electrolyte mix, and other options, as well as the rehab, cooling, misting fans, tents," said Captain Adam Walker of the Raleigh Fire Department.

Firefighters face especially difficult conditions, often carrying 40 to 60 pounds of gear during calls.

"We add additional personnel to those calls for safety measures so that each person is not working as much as they normally would on a cooler day," Walker said.

Walker, who has been with RFD for 21 years, works with the city's Fire Academy.

"We don't do any outside training when temperatures get so hot through our established safety protocols," Walker explained.

City workers are also adapting to the extreme heat. Raleigh Parks officials say crews are changing schedules and increasing breaks to limit exposure during the hottest parts of the day.

"During daylight savings time, we shift our hours to morning hours," said Brady Bayles, Risk and Safety Analyst with Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources with the City of Raleigh.

Bayles said crews working outdoors are rotating more frequently and taking steps to cool down when needed.

"For our crews who are mowing, (we're) making sure that they're getting into an AC space or an AC vehicle, as often as possible," he said, adding similar precautions are in place for staff at Gipson Play Plaza.

Last November, Labor Commissioner Luke Farley set up a Heat Stress Advisory Council, which focuses on protecting workers across the state. Wendell Pierce, who serves as President of the State Employees Association of North Carolina, is one of its members.

"There (are) workshops, there's webinars, there's printable materials that you can get on the Department Labor website," said Powell.

He added there is an upcoming meeting where they plan to discuss the effectiveness of policies, as well as OSHA guidance.

"There's a lot of the protocols already in place. We're just looking at what we might need to do to enhance certain things or to make any necessary changes," Powell said.

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