Imagine having to carry around 70 pounds of extra weight when the temperature outside is 90 degrees or hotter.
That's what firefighters in Jefferson City and Cole County experienced this week while battling structure fires, like Thursday's blaze at the Dickinson Research Center on Lincoln University's campus.
To make sure the firemen were staying safe, several Cole County EMS and Emergency Management team members were on the scene.
"They help us on medical calls, so we help them on fire calls," said Mike Shirts, EMS director. "They keep us safe, so we keep them safe. It's a very close working relationship."
EMS personnel provide water, check the firemen's blood pressure and even help maneuver fire hoses.
"This is normal procedure when we have a fire and the conditions are like this," Shirts said.
Shirts said firemen limit their time in a burning structure when the temperatures are like they were this week.
"Usually they go in with full gear for about five to 10 minutes at a time per man," he said. "The oxygen tanks they carry have a capacity of 45 minutes of air, but if they have to use that in conditions like this you probably could use up all your air in as little as 15 minutes."
Fire personnel are rotated in and out of the structure. They go to a place designated at the site as a cool-down center.
Jefferson City firefighters have made their own cool zone fan, a spray mister where a fan blows a fine mist on the firefighters as they wait before they go back in.
Temperatures at a structure fire can reach up to 1,200 degrees in the ceiling area and 200 to 300 degrees at floor level.
Lindsay Huhman, director of public relations for Capital Region Medical Center, said the emergency room has seen a minimal number of patients suffering from heat-related illnesses. Of that, most patients have been construction workers, she added.