The grueling life of a firefighter requires crews to maintain top mental and physical health at all times. Keeping hydrated and ready to battle blazes at any given moment is crucial in their line of work.
The Reno Fire Department supplies firefighters with ample resources and training to complete their job in all hazardous situations.
Fire Division Chief, Cory Whitlock shared how invaluable preparation is for firefighters.
"Our people are putting in incredible hours a week," he said. "Not to mention, if they get put on a fire assignment, where they're working 14-day stints, so in these opportunities we are cycling crews in and out as much as possible. But as you know, when you're busy and running, these guys are going 72 hours straight. When we come and do live trainings, or if we're on a live fire, it's paramount that we keep them in peak physical condition and that's why we have units like this, a rehab unit where we are able to run AC, have misters, have water, to give them an opportunity to get out of the heat and cool down."
The training system is comprehensive, spanning staffing, technical prep, policy, training, and enabling firefighters to operate safely and effectively, even when frontline temperatures reach or exceed 100 to 105 degrees in Reno.
Engines and medical teams rotate actively through rehab areas, allowing firefighters regular breaks to cool down and replenish fluids.
Full protective gear contributes significantly to overheating, so firefighters strip off heavy layers as soon as they're safely out of active zones, cool down, and rehydrate.
Whitlock adds, "we work in breaks when we can obviously, if there is a structure fire, we're getting at it because, you know, that hazard is our number one priority, and our firefighters are our number one priority. We look at life safety and public safety. In these little stints where we have those pockets of openings we really stress to our professional firefighters here that they need to rehab as much as possible, personally and professionally.
Reno firefighters manage extreme fire‑season heat.
Crews shift training times to early morning and scale back non-critical tasks during peak heat to minimize prolonged exposure. Agencies like Nevada Division of Forestry conduct pre-season training, long 12–16-hour practice days—built around fitness, tool handling, and air-drop coordination to prepare crews for heat challenges.
Fire crews work extended shifts and go days on end battling fires with minimum down time, so staying in peak health both mentally and physically, is required for maintaining top performance in their profession.Â
