BAY MINETTE, Ala. — County and municipal work crews have long-established procedures for dealing with Baldwin County summer heat, but recent three-digit temperatures have spurred renewed caution for worker safety.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Friday that temperatures from January to July are the hottest in recorded history.

The extreme heat has resulted in crews taking more short breaks, supervisors altering schedules and closely monitoring worker health according to a spot check among municipal and county agencies.

Sheriff Huey “Hoss” Mack said the heat has prompted two rare instances in which supervisors told deputies to remove bullet-proof vests to combat the heat.

Nick Warren, director of Bicentennial Park, and a former U.S. Army infantryman, said he was using military procedures to protect crews at the park.

Warren said work starts at 6 a.m., coolers are stocked with Gatorade, two, small trailers offer air conditioning for brief breaks from the heat, neck wraps soaked in ice water help keep the heat down and staffers are told to work in groups of three and keep a watchful eye on each other.

“When I was in the Army and we went on 20-mile hikes, it was drilled in us to watch other soldiers for signs of heat problems,” Warren said.

“Many times people can have problems like disorientation or they stop sweating and they don’t know it. You have to look out for each other.”

Mack reported no heat-related injuries, but said twice in the last month, supervisors ordered deputies to “strip and ventilate” — remove protective vests.

One instance was the Jimmy Buffet concert in Gulf Shores, where deputies provided security for more than 30,000 people. The second was a house fire and fatality in Stockton where deputies were on the scene for four hours.

“If deputies get hot, there is no way to cool down because the vests hold heat,” Mack said. “Supervisors handle by incident, but it is rare to remove vests, and only in restricted instances.”

While deputies don’t have the luxury of altering schedules, inmate crews who tend grounds at county buildings begin work much earlier during summer months.

A spot check of Baldwin municipalities indicates various precautionary measures to maintain the health of staffers:

• Robertsdale Public Works director Scott Gilbert: “We haven’t changed the work schedule, but they are taking more breaks — an extra 15 minutes per hour. They are working at their pace and taking up to four breaks a day. I tell them to sit in the shade and stress heat safety.”

The city’s trucks are equipped with Gatorade, and no weeding is allowed in the afternoon.

• Loxley Public Works director Tommy Hudson: “We are not changing work schedules, but being very cautious about the heat. They are taking as many breaks as they need and have coolers on their trucks.”

• Daphne Public Works director Richard Johnson: “Supervisors in the field make changes due to heat on a day-by-day basis. Grounds and mowing folks are getting done quickly to beat the heat.

“The newest lawnmowers have air conditioning like a vehicle. Those guys can stay in the heat and go 100 percent.”

Spanish Fort Mayor Joe Bonner: “We’re trying to get the hot and sweaty jobs done first thing in the morning, and we’re staying in constant communication with employees who work off by themselves.”

Bonner said schedules have not been altered, but tremendous caution has been taken to monitor outdoors employees. All staffers are asked to hydrate and no employee working in the heat should be “scared to take a break in the middle of the day. We’ve instructed everybody outdoors to use their best judgment and never wait until they start sweating to activate fluids.”

Seniors’ Safety

Pat Harris, director of the Baldwin County Council on Aging, has opened cooling centers, distributed a limited supply of fans and is encouraging seniors to closely monitor their health in the extreme heat.

“Houses aren’t build above ground and with high ceilings like they used to be,” Harris said. “They are harder to cool. We have fans, but if we had window air conditioners, many seniors could not afford the electric bills.”

The council has opened its office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 22251 Palmer St. in Robertsdale as a cooling center for senior citizens in need of relief from the heat.

Seniors can visit area senior centers and take advantage of the activities they offer during the heat of the day. In addition, there are five nutritional centers in the county where seniors can go for lunch and escape the heat, Harris said.

She also suggested visiting other public air conditioned places, such as a library or store.

“We encourage everyone to check on elderly neighbors,” she said.

For information, call the council at (251) 972-8506.