Local firefighters show how quickly temps can climb

Sunday, July 3, 2016
Dangerous heat
There are a lot of outdoor events planned for the fourth so stay hydrated.

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- If you have 4th of July plans outdoors make sure you take precautions.

Cy-Fair Volunteer firefighters showed abc13 just how hot it can get outside.

Firefighters sat inside their fire trucks out in the heat. They had a timer and a thermostat to show just how quickly temps can climb in a hot car.

EMS and paramedics were on standby during the experiment, just in case firefighters needed them.

Within 17 and a half minutes it was 101 degrees inside the truck.

By the end of the experiment the dashboard was 130 degrees.

Once firefighters got out of the truck, paramedics took their temperatures. Their core temperatures were at 101 degrees, in just a short amount of time.

Firefighter Andrew Nix says he felt trapped and can't imagine what would it feel like if you knew you couldn't get out.

"All I had to do was open the door so i can only imagine someone trapped in there, maybe buckled into a baby-seat or an animal trapped in the backseat, what a traumatic experience that would be," said firefighter Andrew Nix with the Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department.

If you do feel yourself getting overheated you can put a cool towel on your head and neck.

To lower your body temperature, the best thing is to listen to your body. If you feel overheated take a break.

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