VIDEO: If you've ever been near a working fire, the heat from the flames can be felt hundreds of feet away.
“We do exactly what we tell the public. We hydrate before our shifts, we hydrate, during our shifts, we hydrate after our shifts we hydrate, just like if you are going to be outside,” says Phoenix Fire Captain Todd Keller.
When out on a call, the department will often add more firefighters to the rotation in order to allow for those who are working fires take more frequent breaks. The extreme heat coupled with the fires they fight puts these first responders in a heightened state of alert as far as the heat is concerned.
The equipment they carry such as oxygen tanks, boots, hats and protective gear -- all of it putting added weight on their bodies.