COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — No matter the weather, Columbus firefighters are expected to show up and put out fires, but extremely cold days do make their jobs more difficult.

The low temperatures don’t stop fires from happening across the city, but a captain with the Columbus Division of Fire said there are some extra steps taken for safety.

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Captain Mark Mattox said that frostbite is a major concern on a day like Sunday, where temperatures dipped into the single digits, not factoring in the wind chill.

“You’re talking about minus 20 degrees, 10 degrees, 5 degrees wind chill and 30 mile-an-hour winds like they had last night, that’s a real concern,” Mattox said. “Any exposed skin, you’ve got to cover up.”

While fighting a house fire in the Hilltop Sunday afternoon, the water from the hoses froze almost as soon as it touched the air. Mattox said three of his guys slipped and fell on the ice, so salt was continuously thrown on the ground.

Mattox said his crews get wet from the hose sometimes, so he tries to get them in dry gear immediately.

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“We’re not here to get hurt,” he said. “We’re here to do the best we can but we’ve got to deal with it.”

And unfortunately, Mattox said firefighters’ thick jackets and pants aren’t as warm as they look.

“Your adrenaline and your body heat will keep you warm for a while, but when you are sitting around, the cold will set in,” Mattox said. “Once it sets in, it stays set in so that’s when, before we get frostbite or something, we’ll change out crews.”

These are all reasons why Mattox said that extra trucks and firefighters are around on extremely cold days. Rotating people in and out is the best way to keep them all safe.

The bitter cold doesn’t prevent fires, so Sunday’s conditions are something Columbus firefighters often have to work through.

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“Your fingers are just frozen, and you want to get back, get your stuff dried out and get new gear on,” Mattox said. “We’ve dealt with this before, it’s Ohio. This is what we do.”

These are long days and long nights for firefighters, but they work through it the best they can to help people across the city.

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