thedrifter
09-04-07, 03:35 PM
Flags warn Marines in Yuma of possible heat risks
KVOA.com, AZ
YUMA, Ariz. -- Marines at the military air station here can tell with a single upward glance how much outdoor work they may be in for on any given hot day.
The Marine Corps Air Station Yuma posts flags on hot days in four locations _ including the gym and two gates _ to provide guidelines for how much work can be done in the heat and how much water Marines need to drink to stay hydrated.
The flag system is meant to help prevent maladies such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke, said Lance Cpl. Daniel Angel.
Each of the four flags is a different color: green means heavy exercise can be conducted with caution; yellow means troops who have spent less than two or three weeks in Yuma's climate cannot complete strenuous activities; red means unacclimatized troops cannot have physical training and others are limited to six hours; and black means no strenuous physical activity.
Sgt. Zachary Fossum, a weather forecaster at the base, said that with the hot and humid weather in August, the black flag was often flying by 1 p.m.
He said that when Marines arrive in Yuma, they attend a heat class to help them acclimate.
Information from: The Sun, www.yumasun.com
Ellie
KVOA.com, AZ
YUMA, Ariz. -- Marines at the military air station here can tell with a single upward glance how much outdoor work they may be in for on any given hot day.
The Marine Corps Air Station Yuma posts flags on hot days in four locations _ including the gym and two gates _ to provide guidelines for how much work can be done in the heat and how much water Marines need to drink to stay hydrated.
The flag system is meant to help prevent maladies such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke, said Lance Cpl. Daniel Angel.
Each of the four flags is a different color: green means heavy exercise can be conducted with caution; yellow means troops who have spent less than two or three weeks in Yuma's climate cannot complete strenuous activities; red means unacclimatized troops cannot have physical training and others are limited to six hours; and black means no strenuous physical activity.
Sgt. Zachary Fossum, a weather forecaster at the base, said that with the hot and humid weather in August, the black flag was often flying by 1 p.m.
He said that when Marines arrive in Yuma, they attend a heat class to help them acclimate.
Information from: The Sun, www.yumasun.com
Ellie