GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) —While it was nearing 90 in Grand Rapids’ Calder Plaza Wednesday afternoon, that’s cool compared to inside Lauren D’Angelo’s Patty Melt food truck.
“We top out in the truck at between 125 and 130 degrees,” said D’Angelo as she slapped another sandwich on the grill.
D’Angelo takes precautions to keep her and the rest of her crew from baking while they cook. “We have electrolyte water, we have moist towelettes in the cooler for people to wipe their faces with, I have unlimited water for our staff to drink,” she said.
At their LaGrave Avenue station, Grand Rapids firefighters prepared to battle the heat on two fronts, from the fires they fight to the wearable gear protecting them from the flames.
“It’s essentially like wearing an oven mitt,” said Lt. Bill Smith. Firefighters will wear lighter clothing under their turnout gear during the heat wave.
At the scene, they’ll also get extra help to allow them more breaks, and medical personnel will be checking them for heat exhaustion.
That’s some news everyone could use during this heat wave. Experts say hydration and limiting activity are the keys to keeping safe.
“So for kids especially, for every 10 minutes of activity, they should have a gulp of water,” explained Jennifer Hoekstra, an injury prevention specialist with Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.
“A good half-hour before you are participating in any activity, you really should take a tall, 12-ounce glass of water as an adult, so that you have that in your system. And always keep refueling as the day goes on,” said Hoekstra.
She says people should steer clear of alcohol and sugary drinks like pop, which can dehydrate. Another rule: a cool drink is good, but an ice cold drink is not.
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