Beating the Heat: MEDWAR 2017 with BlueforceWBGT

Blueforce was proud to take part in MEDWAR 2017 SOUTHEAST as a guest of VCOM/Auburn. Exposure to extreme heat is a reality of any form of public safety/military training and unit preparation for operational missions, MEDWAR included. Many heat illnesses are preventable, and none should be fatal. Leaders must assess unit’s missions and training requirements against the risk associated with operating in warm weather environments. Early recognition and treatment of responders presenting with symptoms of heat illnesses are key to saving lives. There are three things you need to know about heat illness during any training or exercise processes:

1. Heat illness is a threat to individual health and to operational success:

• Despite well documented and effective techniques for preventing heat illnesses, they continue to be a threat during training and active operations.
• For the DoD, every year an average of 2-3 soldiers die from heat stroke and more than 1000 soldiers have developed a heat-related illness that required medical attention and/or lost duty time.

2. Even mild heat illness and dehydration can significantly degrade performance:

• Degrades performance
• Losing 4% of body weight from dehydration degrades physical performance 50%
• This 4% body weight loss is possible in less than 2 hrs!
• Increases core body temp
• Every 1% loss of body weight increases core temp .10-.23°C or .18-.40°F (increasing risk of more serious heat illness)

3. Heat illness is preventable, especially when active monitoring is in place: The best solution to heat illness and dehydration related problems is monitoring and ACTION!

Blueforce Development Corporation, partnering with Nielsen-Kellerman, has created a solution that solves both of these problems, providing instant awareness to heat related risk levels in a work environment, and enabling effective oversight both at the worksite and at a regional or even global centralized level. This Blueforce WBGT solution is effective for preventing heat related illness on the job and keeping workers healthier and more productive. To learn more, download our free eBook: Beating the Heat: Preventing Heat-Related Illness with Blueforce.