IRMO, S.C. — Ice cold waters and fighting fires. That's summertime in the Columbia area for the Irmo Fire District.
"It really pushes you to your limits. You really find out who you are," Dominick Boyce, Irmo Fire captain said.
During the hot summer months here in Columbia, once firefighters are finished responding to a call, they take off all their heavy gear and equipment including their helmet and immediately will start hydrating.
Sloane Valentino is the assistant chief of operations. He explains the key is lots of water constantly, adding that it's typical for a firefighter to drink a gallon or more of water per day this time of year.
Irmo Fire District's exhaustion rate is higher in the thick of the summer, so more firefighters are needed to fight a fire.
Captain Dominick Boyce tells News 19 his team knows each others' highs and lows.
"We're like family, so we know when we're operating at our pinnacle, the highest point, so recognizing when a guy, he's starting to get that gazing stare, profusely sweating, how often are they going to use the bathroom," Boyce said.
"The problem that we experience is when we come out of the structure fire and we take our gear off, it's much more challenging for us to cool off in the summertime. So what we do in the summertime is we have cold towels. We'll keep them on ice, we'll use ice packs, try to rapidly cool our bodies down," Valentino said.
Valentino adds his team still trains to respond in the high heat indexes, but that they work in the shade or train inside during the hotter parts of the day.
He also explains they try to avoid salty foods and energy drinks in the summer too.