How Fort Carson keeps soldiers safe during sweltering heat
FORT CARSON, Colo. (KRDO) -- With temperatures soaring into the 90s and low 100s across Southern Colorado recently, Fort Carson explains how they keep soldiers and staff safe while working or training in the elements.
With extreme heat being the deadliest form of weather, it can be incredibly dangerous to work outside during the summer months.
"So the biggest effect heat is going to have, is on the soldiers' safety," said Sergeant 1st Class Anthony Allen. "As leaders, we want to make sure that they're taken care of, and so we have things in place to kind of mitigate those risk factors once it starts getting too hot.”
The United States Army uses the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, which is a measure of heat stress in direct sunlight.
Basically, it mandates work-to-rest ratios depending on the temperature and humidity outside.
"The lowest ratio is going to be 50 minutes of work and 10 minutes of rest," said Allen. "And the most severe ratio is going to be 10 minutes of work and 50 minutes of rest.”
The ratio of 10 minutes of work to 50 minutes of rest is put in place when the temperature rises over 90 degrees and soldiers are doing hard work; like walking in sand with a load and wearing full uniforms.
Army leaders say they stay aware of how all soldiers are responding to the heat, especially at Fort Carson where the high altitude can dehydrate people faster.
"It starts out with the heat cramps and that's going to be your first warning sign," said Allen. "That's when we're really going to start saying, 'Hey, you need to get out of the sun. You need to start drinking more water, and we need to get you some medical attention.' If you have a previous heat injury, you're also going to be more susceptible to heat injuries in the future.”
While all precautions are taken to make sure soldiers are safe, if they do suffer from heat stroke or heat exhaustion, they’re taken straight to the emergency room.
"We're going to take it extremely seriously," said Allen.
While it isn't fun, working in extreme temperatures can actually be important training, as soldiers can be sent to desert climates for missions.
The US Army says working in hot weather can actually better prepare soldiers for future deployments.
