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New York Today

New York Today: Fighting Fire in the Heat

New York City firefighters on the job in Harlem.Credit...Harrison Hill/The New York Times

Updated, 11:50 a.m.

Good morning on this bright and balmy Monday.

Temperatures are expected to reach the mid-80s today, which got us wondering: Which job gets exceptionally hot in the summer heat?

Try that of fighting a fire.

New York City firefighters respond to emergencies wearing more than 100 pounds of equipment in thick, insulated suits — a uniform that can raise a person’s body temperature above 100 degrees. Because of this, firefighters are at increased risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion and, in extreme cases, heat stroke.

We visited Engine Company 54 in Manhattan to find out how the New York Fire Department keeps its firefighters safe during the summer.

“You sweat profusely and immediately as soon as you put everything on,” said Colin Maxwell, a firefighter, over a glass of water.

The department encourages firefighters to drink more fluids than usual and to eat a light diet when it’s hot, said John Hodgens, a deputy assistant chief.

The Fire Department also takes precautions in the field:

More firefighters. “We get more staffing on the scene so that we can relieve our members more quickly than we would in normal, cool weather,” Chief Hodgens said.

Removing equipment. After being relieved from a fire, firefighters make their way to a designated Recuperation and Care Unit, a truck known as a RAC unit, outside the scene. There, they remove their equipment — helmet, heavy tools, self-contained breathing tank, jacket, pants and boots — to quickly cool off.

Towels and fans. The care units provide the firefighters with liquids, wet towels and misting fans. Each of the five boroughs has a RAC unit staffed by one worker. But during the warmest days of the summer, an additional truck is deployed, and each is staffed by an additional person Chief Hodgens said.

Injuries are most common during consecutive days of high temperatures, said James Long, the director of public information for the Fire Department.

Firefighter Maxwell recalled experiencing dizziness caused by heat a couple of months into the job in 2015. He was fighting a fire on the fourth floor of a building on 10th Avenue when he started seeing white spots.

“I started to get dizzy,” he said. “I don’t think I recognized it because, you know, I was a new guy and wanted to prove that I was tough, but my officer and the guy next to me noticed me panting.”

He recovered quickly with a respiratory mask, but he wondered if it would have happened had he been properly hydrated.

You can learn more about how to stay safe during a heat wave here.

Here’s what else is happening:

A beautiful week ahead.

Yes, it will be toasty — we’re expecting a high of 86 today — but at least it will be sunny.

There’s a slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon, so grab an umbrella on your way out the door.

Scaffolding at a Harlem building for 17 years has angered residents who say it’s an eyesore. [New York Times]

The “life guards for life” serving some Long Island beaches are in their 60s and 70s. [New York Times]

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Gerry Lambert, 73, a lifeguard at Tobay Beach in Oyster Bay, N.Y.Credit...Johnny Milano for The New York Times

A murder in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, can be traced back more than two decades to its far-flung roots in rural China. [New York Times]

Under a proposal, schools for struggling students could soon be subject to new federal rules regarding graduation. [New York Times]

A Staten Island hospital and a zoo are protecting residents from poisonous snakes. [NY1]

• A multicar crash on Grand Central Parkway in Queens killed two people and injured seven on Sunday. [New York Daily News]

Two friends are seeking to clear their names more than three decades after being convicted of murdering and robbing a 71-year-old French tourist in Brooklyn. [New York Daily News]

Today’s Metropolitan Diary: “N Is for Never

Scoreboard: Yankees sock it to the Red Sox, 3-0, and the Red Sox take revenge on the Yankees, 3-0. Rockies rock Mets, 13-4. Liberty mystify Mystics, 85-55.

For a global look at what’s happening, see Your Monday Briefing.

Queens residents can speak about their needs and concerns at Borough Hall as part of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s “City Hall in Your Borough” series. [Free]

Books Beneath the Bridge, a series of readings and discussions featuring local authors and bookshops, continues at the Granite Prospect steps in Brooklyn Bridge Park. 7 p.m. [Free]

Indulge in Monday Night Magic (and mind-reading) at the Players Theater in Greenwich Village. 8 p.m. [$42.50]

The Lincoln Center Festival continues, showcasing music, theater and dance through July 30. Venues, times and prices vary.

Mets host Cardinals, 7:10 p.m. (SNY). Yankees at Twins, 8:10 p.m. (YES).

Alternate-side parking remains in effect until August 15.

For more events, see The New York Times’s Arts & Entertainment guide.

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To feet? Or not to feet? That is the question.Credit...Justin Gilliland/The New York Times

Another thing that comes out in New York City in the heat: feet.

As footwear changes with the hot weather, so do our comfort levels with toes and toenails in the workplace — whether that means our willingness to expose more skin to those around us, or our tolerance of the sight of co-workers’ feet.

So on sticky summer days, where do style and office etiquette meet when it comes to feet? What are the biggest footwear dos and don’ts, and why? Are flip-flops O.K.? How does cleanliness factor in?

Ponder this line between practical and professional as you head to work this morning, and tell us your thoughts by posting in the comments or emailing nytoday@nytimes.com. Include your name, age, the type of environment in which you work, and the borough in which you work.

The New York Today team may contact you for inclusion in an upcoming column.

New York Today is a weekday roundup that stays live from 6 a.m. till late morning. If you don’t get it in your inbox already, you can sign up to receive it by email here.

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What would you like to see here to start your day? Post a comment, email us at nytoday@nytimes.com, or reach us via Twitter using #NYToday.

Follow the New York Today columnists, Alexandra Levine and Jonathan Wolfe, on Twitter.

You can find the latest New York Today at nytoday.com.

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