HAMILTON COUNTY — As temperatures drop across Central Indiana, first responders and fire departments in Hamilton County are prepared for any cold-weather emergencies that may arise.
Recognizing hypothermia symptoms can be crucial in emergencies. When someone is found on the ground in cold conditions, first responders look for specific warning signs.
"How are [their] hands and fingers? Are they having circulation problems? Are their lips turning blue? Are they chattering? They're shivering, [for example]," said Tim Griffin with the Carmel Fire Department. "It's going to be pretty quick and obvious."
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Hamilton County first responders say it doesn't take long for frostbite to happen when temperatures plummet.
"If they've been out there for an hour or two, this can definitely be something where they're going to have hypothermia, or they're starting that setting in," Griffin said.
Water emergencies present even greater risks during cold weather conditions.
"When we have someone that's in water, those folks are going to lose body temperature about 25 times faster than they would in the air," added Lt. Dan Milligan with the Noblesville Fire Department.
The first priority for emergency responders is ensuring patient stability before transport.
"So the first priority is making sure that the patient's stable enough for us to move them. Because, like I indicated before, the biggest thing we can do is get them out of the cold environment and into this environment where it's warm," explained Lt. Milligan. "That's gonna start the process of heating them up, just getting them out."
When someone falls in the cold and cannot move, Griffin explained the Carmel Fire Department's protocol.
"'[We'll] separate them from the ground and then we're going to want to cover them up in layers to keep them warm," Griffin said.
The cold weather safety concerns extend beyond the public, also to firefighters and first responders themselves.
"If they start to get wet, it's good to recognize that that could become an issue. So if they need to peel down some of those layers to keep the moisture off of them, that's going to help them stay warmer longer and be effective," Milligan said.
