The Turlock Fire Department responded to a total of 491 incidents during the month of May.
These included a total of 316 emergency medical service calls. Turlock Fire responded to 17 motor vehicle accidents, and 22 commercial/residential fire alarms. There were a total of 33 fire type calls: seven building fires, three vehicle fires, 10 grass/ rubbish fires, two unauthorized burnings, two authorized control burns, two Dumpster fires, one cooking fire, one arcing shorted electrical, one fire in structure "other," two fires classified as "other," one excessive heat scorch burn, and one RV camper fire. Remaining incidents consisted of public assists, assist to police, water or steam leak, smoke checks, gas leaks, haz-mat, or power lines down.
Noteworthy events: The Turlock Fire Department would like to congratulate Trevor Watts on his promotion from the rank of Firefighter to the rank of Fire Engineer. Engineer Watts has been training and preparing for this position for the past two years. His preparation and readiness for the position of Fire Engineer was very noticeable during the testing process. He was tested in an oral examination, written test, equipment identification exercise, and manipulative test. All four parts are designed to test the candidates knowledge, skills, and abilities; making sure they meet the standards set by the Turlock Fire Department to protect the citizens of Turlock and what matters most. Trevor did an outstanding job throughout the testing process, and we believe he will be a great representative for the department.
Safety Tip: The Turlock Fire Department would like to make you aware of three common heat emergencies. We are at the beginning of the summer months with many hot days to come, so it's important to learn the signs and what to do if you or someone you know has a heat emergency.
HEAT CRAMPS - Heat cramps happen when the body loses too much salt and water through sweat and are usually caused by activity in hot weather. Signs of heat cramps include pain or cramps in the arms, legs, or stomach. What to do: Get to a cooler place and drink water slowly.
HEAT EXHAUSTION - Heat exhaustion occurs when a person is exposed to hot temperatures and loses too much water and salt from their body through sweat. It's the first sign of a more dangerous condition called heat stroke. Signs of heat exhaustion include cool, moist, pale, or pink skin, heavy sweating, headache, and feeling nauseous, dizzy, weak, or very tired. What to do: Get to a cooler place, take off or loosen tight clothes, put wet towels on the skin to cool the person down, give the person small amounts of water to drink if he or she is awake. Call 9-1-1 if the person will not drink water, vomits or loses consciousness.
HEAT STROKE - Heat stroke happens when the system that controls the body's temperature stops working. It can be caused by not drinking enough water or being exposed to extreme heat. Body temperatures can rise over 106F. Heat stroke can be deadly. Signs of heat stroke include hot and red skin, changes in consciousness, high body temperature. What to do: Call 9-1-1 right away. Move the person to a cooler place while you wait for help to arrive, put wet towels on the person's skin to help cool them down.