COLORADO SPRINGS — Emergency workers like firefighters are the ones offering most of the advice on staying in and staying safe during the cold snap.
They are also the ones who still have to work in the frigid temperatures.
“This is definitely a lot different for us as we respond, just because we've got to make sure that we're staying warm and that we can continue to respond to your emergency,” said Captain Mike Smaldino with Colorado Springs Fire Department.
If firefighters go to a fire, they are not just out in the cold, they are also working with water.
Past cold-day emergencies influence current protocol.
“Back in the blizzard in '97, We had a lot of people that were outside for extended periods of time, and we even had people that had to medically retire because of it,” said Smaldino.
Some firefighters suffered from frostbite after too much time in the cold.
There are now more specific safety guidelines when temperatures get dangerous.
“We'll look at sending more resources or staggering them kind of through the incident,” said Smaldino.
When firefighters ask for extra caution on cold days, it is first for public safety but also for their own protection.
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