The heat is on

View larger image Winchester mail carrier Andy Tetreault fills his water bottle and gets a bit of air from his fan in his mail truck. The Air Force veteran drinks a gallon of water on his route, which includes about 740 addresses. Dennis Grundman/Daily Recommend This Print This Get E-mail News Alerts Buy Photos/Page Reprints * Breaking News If local news is breaking and you know about it: * Call Us: 800-296-5137 * E-mail Us * Upload Your Photos

Index expected to hit 110 this week; residents advised to take it seriously

By Candace Sipos -- csipos@nvdaily.com

WINCHESTER -- Andy Tetreault carries a bright red, gallon-sized jug of ice water to work. Hours before the hottest temperatures of the late afternoon, he stood beside a gray mailbox in front of Huntington Meadows on Wednesday, quickly sifting large stacks of mail into dozens of smaller ones.

He then poured cool water from his jug into a smaller Gatorade bottle.

"I just drank this gallon of water," he noted, adding that he fills up his bottle in small increments so his drinking water won't get warm.

"Luckily, there's a nice lady at Long John Silver's," Tetreault said. "I usually drink my gallon by the time I get there. She'll fill it back up for me."

These are the tricks of mail carriers and other outside workers, especially when record-breaking heat hangs in the air.

Meteorologist Carrie Suffern of the National Weather Service in Sterling said it will feel like it's 110 degrees outside this week, and that's nothing to take lightly.

"It's definitely dangerous because people that are prone to getting heat stroke or heat-related illnesses are more susceptible," Suffern said, but added that the conditions are unsafe for everyone.

The normal maximum temperature for July 20 at Dulles International Airport is 88 degrees, according to Suffern. This year, the high was 95. Temperatures for today and Friday are expected to reach triple digits, with an excessive heat warning in effect from noon until 8 p.m. both days.

The Frederick County Fair Horse Show has already been rescheduled for Sunday, Aug. 7.

Winchester Social Services has seen an increase this year in applications for financial assistance with cooling equipment, according to Assistant Director Georjean Coco. As of July 8, the agency had taken more than 221 applications, 93 of which were approved. Many are still pending.

The federally funded program requires participants to not exceed certain income requirements and to have a vulnerable person in the household, meaning someone older than 60, younger than 6 or disabled at any age. If applicants qualify, they can receive help with electric bills, repair of their central air conditioning or new ceiling fans. The agency will accept applications until Aug. 15.

But the heat is dangerous even for people who have working air conditioners or fans. Suffern recommends drinking a lot of water and limiting outdoor activities, especially during the hottest parts of the day. Tetreault, for one, doesn't have much of a choice.
"I used to be on a walking route, and I tell you what -- in this kind of heat, it's a lot better walking," he said while looking at his USPS truck, which sported an open door and a small fan on the dashboard, turning as fast as it could.

"All we got is that fan," he said. "All it does is just shoots hot air on you."

Tetreault, who has worked for the post office since 1990 and been a carrier since 1997, did not always drink water on the job. When he first started out as a carrier, he walked 12 miles each day. One of those days, he began to feel the early stages of heatstroke.
"When I got toward the end of the route ... I started getting dizzy, cramps in the legs," he said. "Ever since then, I've made sure I drank the water."

Now, he has a route with about 740 addresses, which he's supposed to finish in eight hours. He's also on the overtime list, and he was assigned more than an hour of another carrier's route on Wednesday. But Tetreault said he wouldn't want to do anything else. He's an outside person, and his 20 years in the Air Force certainly helped prepare him for weeks like this one.

"Believe it or not, it's not really that bad," he said, smiling. "You drink the water, take your time and don't kill yourself, and you'll be all right."