Extreme cold puts emergency workers to the test

Manitoba Hydro workers, firefighters, paramedics and tow truck drivers are simply some of the professions that have people working outside, regardless of the temperature.

Emergency situations don't take a break if the weather turns extreme here in Manitoba. However, the professionals that work outside in the rain, shine, or minus 40 windchills are often prepared.

Manitoba Hydro

"If there's an outage anywhere in the province, obviously with the cold weather, there's a need for us to restore power as fast as we can. There's also a possibility of a natural gas outage," says Bruce Owens, the Media Relations Officer with Manitoba Hydro. 

When the temperatures reach a certain level, roughly around the time when schools close because of the weather, non-emergent work gets put on hold.

"A lot of the maintenance be it working on wood poles, transmission towers, or substations, some of that work is being cancelled. So people aren't being exposed to these frigid temperatures."

There are safety steps and guidelines for all hydro employees who work outside. When the temperature reaches the minus 40-degree range, most of the work outside is due to an emergency.

"We are prepared for it. People need to work with someone. They need to make sure they're properly dressed down to the underwear and socks, including the safety material and hard hats. Making sure there's minimal exposure to skin," says Owens. 

When the risk of frostbite to exposed skin can happen in minutes with the windchill, time is a factor. 

"They have to take frequent breaks, going into a building to stay warm or a running vehicle. Eat correctly, the right amount of calories, liquids to make sure their fuel is up, and the vehicle's fuel too."

Safety and taking precautions is drilled into the employees, according to Owens, and they are constantly training.

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS)

"We pay a lot of attention to proper gear. In cold weather, the staff wear an extra layer underneath," says Ihor Holowczynsky, the Assistant Chief of the Fire/Rescue Operations in Winnipeg. 

Holowczynsky also notes that it can be tricky to dress appropriately as only some of the time is spent outside on many emergency calls. 

"You can only add so many layers because with firefighting you're still doing interior operations. It's not like they can dress up with everything to stay warm all the time because they would overheat inside."

Awareness is an important aspect of staying safe in the cold weather. 

"Our leadership, firefighters, and rescue personal paramedics watch out for each other. Some of the hazards are something like frostbite. That's something that is noticeable by the folks you're working with. Of course, watching for the greater danger of hypothermia for us and for our patients."

When it comes to a house or building ablaze, putting out fires can actually be a lot harder in the extreme cold.

"Besides the obvious obstacle of freeze-ups on things like hoses, there can be slips and falls because ice instantly forms. In regards to fire, cold air is quite dense. So that propagates the burning process, things burn more readily with dense air," he says. 

Tow Truck Drivers

When the weather turns to extreme cold warnings, tow truck services phones light up. 

"Yesterday, for instance, we fielded 1,700 phone calls and we did upwards of 650 calls," says Colleen Roscoe Sass, the Accounts Receivable Controller and Driver Services for Dr. Hook Towing Services. 

Roughly half of those calls were from a dead battery and people in need of a boost. Some of those turn into a person needing a tow because their vehicle will not start.

Some people's vehicles breakdown in the extreme cold and the driver and/or passengers aren't prepared to wait in the cold weather safely. That's when it becomes an emergency and a matter of safety. 

"If it's an emergency situation, we are not leaving anyone on the side of the road or highway. Even if the person phones, all they have is a cell phone and their car isn't running, they're going to become a priority for us."

The towing service now has its own traffic response division.

"We try to equip our drivers with proper winter wear. In most instances, they can be in and out of the truck within a couple of minutes at a time. Check the scene again, make sure everything is still okay and keep going. It's challenging but we've been doing this a long time."

Sass mentions that the new PPE and masks have been helping keep faces a little warmer during this winter as well.