APOLLO BEACH, Fla. (WFTS) — It’s been a scorcher in Tampa this week, with temperatures hitting a record-breaking 100 degrees for the first time ever. Days later, Tampa reported an hourly heat index of 119 degrees, the highest ever recorded in hourly reports since unofficial heat index records began in 1948.
We caught up with Fred Hartless, the Maintenance Superintendent for Hillsborough County Public Works, to chat about how his team is coping with the heat while keeping public services running smoothly.
Watch full report from Jada Williams
As we spoke, a crew was busy trimming trees in an Apollo Beach neighborhood.
“We try to keep our workers cool by offering frequent breaks and plenty of cold drinks like water and Gatorade—free of charge,” Hartless said.
Each maintenance facility is stocked with ice machines, and workers wear breathable dry-fit uniforms that meet safety standards.
“They can take a break in the truck to cool off, which is really important during this extreme weather,” he added.
With the heat bearing down, Fred noted that this week's high temperatures have presented challenges.
“Obviously, we don’t get the production that we do during the cooler seasons, and for obvious reasons, they stop more.”
Hillsborough County has about 180 field crew team members. These workers spend most of their workday outside.
After responding to recent storms, the team had been working seven days a week, but they’re now back to six.
One concern Fred mentioned was helping workers adjust to the heat, especially if they’ve been off for a while.
“What we do sometimes is… start them out with simpler tasks, like turning the stop sign, flagging, and putting out cones,” he explained. “As they become acclimated and demonstrate physical fitness, they are moved to more demanding roles, including operating chainsaws and pole saws.”
To ensure safety, field supervisors receive additional training on heat management. Every team member has to do weekly training.
“The supervisors go to additional trainings in addition to the weekly safety training,” Fred noted. “We have monthly safety meetings with our safety manager," he explained. "Public works, because we are so big, we have our own safety manager in addition to the county's overall team, and they're provided with the latest information that's kept up the spec with weather and various events and hydration."
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