TMLC in The Gainesville Sun

TMLC team member Roderick Elmore was interviewed for an artilce on the summer heat, and the stress it puts on our team members working outside in it. Read what Rod had to say here.

 

The National Weather Service has forecast heat indexes as high as 107 degrees in parts of Florida lasting through this week and into early next week.   By Katelyn Newberg Correspondent As sunlight reflects off of the scorching asphalt, Rod Elmore fights dehydration and exhaustion to continue working in Florida’s heat. “Day by day it’s getting hotter and hotter,” said Elmore, a worker with The Master’s Lawn Care, a landscaping and lawn service company operating in Gainesville. Elmore and other Gainesville residents this week have been facing heat indexes reaching into the hundreds of degrees.   The National Weather Service has forecast heat indexes as high as 107 degrees in parts of Florida lasting through this week and into early next week. The NWS has issued a heat advisory for portions of North Florida because of what it terms “dangerous’’ high temperatures and high afternoon relative humidity values.   Although the actual temperature may be lower, the additional humidity is causing the state’s interior to feel hotter than normal.   When the temperatures rise, residents who use more electricity can see higher energy bills. By resisting the urge to lower the thermostat and using appliances strategically, residents can save money, said Amy Carpus, a residential energy program coordinator with Gainesville Regional Utilities. To save energy during hotter months, thermostats shouldn’t be set lower than 78 degrees, she said. For every degree a thermostat is set below that number, customer’s bills can increase by about 4 percent. “Customers can save as much as 10 percent a year by simply turning up the thermostat when they leave home longer than two hours,” she said.   To stay comfortable during the heat of the day, Carpus suggested residents dress for the weather, even when indoors. “Shorts and T-shirts inside for summer,” she said. “You’ll be a lot more comfortable.” Residents should also wait to run large appliances during the evening to save energy. “You don’t want to add additional heat into your home when you’re trying to cool it during the really hot portions of the day,” Carpus said. Clogged or blocked air conditioning filters can also cause resident’s bills to rise, and filters should be checked every month, she said.   For Gainesville residents leaving their homes, staying hydrated is essential. Rusty Thompson, who owns The Master’s Lawn Service, said his 19-member team that works outside just received additional training to handle the heat. “First off, it’s making the guys are aware of what heat exhaustion feels like,” he said. “The most important thing is just drink a lot of water and don’t be afraid to take breaks.” The men who work for Thompson know how to avoid “catching the bear,” their term for heat exhaustion. None of his workers have passed out from the climbing heat indexes this summer, he said.   “If you take care of your body the right way and put the right stuff in it, it will provide the right output to do the work,” he said. Elmore, wearing pants, long sleeves and a towel under his hat, has grown used to the heat, he said. He takes pride whenever he drives by a lawn or commercial building he’s worked at during the summer months. “I like it,” he said. “I like working outside. As long as you keep hydrated, take your five, 10 minute breaks, you’ll manage it.” Even kids spending their time away from school at summer camp aren’t sheltered from the heat. The 80 or so kids participating in the summer day camp program at Westside Recreation Center this week are ushered inside when the heat becomes too much, said Victoria Wells, a supervisor at the camp. “Some of the kids, they will complain about it, about not going outside,” she said. “We try to make the fun come inside.” When the heat becomes intense and the kids’ faces become too red from the sun, they go inside to watch movies and play games, she said. Other times they play in the pool, and water stations are set up in the park to keep everyone hydrated. “That’s our main focus: hydrating, keeping them cool,” said Herman Smith, another supervisor at the camp. “It’s an oven; continued heat in an oven.”