CADILLAC — We’re on day three of this heat wave and for some, it’s been a struggle dealing with hot temperatures and high humidity, especially those who have to work in the heat. That includes firefighters and people who work at restaurants.
Kitchens are known for being notoriously hot, but this week has been brutal. Same goes for firefighters who are used to wearing heavy protective gear when fighting fires but that gets much more difficult in this weather.
Cherry Grove Township fire chief Noah Knauf says extremely hot days can be taxing.
“Nobody wants to work in 91-degree heat, but the job has to get done. So, we just make sure we’re taking care of ourselves. It’s like an oven, you can go from being super hydrated to really dehydrated all in a matter of minutes,” said Knauf.
He said the heat seems to drain your energy. Couple that with protective gear that can weigh up to a hundred pounds, they do what they can to stay cool.
“Drinking water is a big thing for us, making sure that I stay hydrated and taking lots of breaks. Guys are looking to find shade and air conditioning as much as possible,” said Knauf.
He said they also make sure they have more staff.
“Having additional manpower is crucial because then we can actually give guys a rest and get their gear off and let them cool down,” said Knauf.
He said as a first responder, they take heat related calls all the time, they know to listen to their bodies.
“Our job is dangerous, and we want to provide a service for those. But we also have to make sure that we’re taken care of too,” said Knauf.
Over at Clam Lake Beer Company in Cadillac, kitchen manager James Scarbrough said it’s been brutal
“He said even with two fans in the kitchen area, the last few days have been miserable, when they get cooking, it can reach temps of 110 degrees or more.
“It’s been pretty hot back in the kitchen for sure. It’s already hot with all the fires but the heat. doesn’t help,” said Scarbrough.
He said it hasn’t slowed down his employees, with kitchens known for being hot, they’re used to it. Still they do what they can to keep staff cool on the line.
“We try to rotate people out to get breaks if they want them to. you can always go step down into one of the coolers or freezers if you really need to cool off real fast,” said Scarbrough.
He said they also take other measures on days like today.
“One of our other kitchen managers got a bunch of cooling towels for the kitchen guys. And then we try to keep Gatorade stocked in the beer cooler downstairs for them. And, also, we purchase ice cream and keep it in the freezer and keep little snacks for everybody,” said Scarbrough.