Cooling Vests Helping Prevent Cal Fire Firefighters From Overheating In Soberanes Fire
BIG SUR (CBS SF) -- The rugged terrain in the Soberanes Fire in Monterey County isn't the only problem firefighters are facing - they're also dealing with extreme heat.
But, a new tool is helping them keep their cool on the fire lines.
"These blue vests that they are wearing, they have ice cold water going through these vests to cool them off, so we're getting them cooled down, we are getting them hydrated and letting them relax before we rotate them back into the firefight," Scott Lindgren with Cal Fire said.
This vest utilizes NASA-developed technology to circulate water through over 50-feet of micro-tubing, which creates a cool microclimate around the firefighter's torso.
This cooling of the core of the body is critical in keeping firefighters safely in the fire fight.
"It's just getting super hot right now, they are wearing about 200 pounds of gear, they are working really close to the fire so the heat is intense and it's draining on their bodies," Lindgren said.
The vests are a big help.
They cool the body 28-times faster than cool air alone.
