SAN DIEGO (KGTV)- As temperatures rise across San Diego County, fire crews are stepping up preparations for elevated fire danger following a number of brush fires earlier this week.
Cal Fire firefighter Jacob Wolf says the key to handling fast-moving brush fires starts long before a call comes in.
"I come over here. I put all of my gear, including my turnouts, on the engine here. So this is all of my structure gear here," Wolf said.
Wolf walks through his routine before every shift, checking that his equipment is functioning properly for whatever conditions he may face in the field — including his breathing apparatus.
"This gives us oxygen. It enables us to breathe in many areas where it's gonna be smoky if there are unknown gases, things like that. This gives us fresh air to breathe," Wolf said.
From reviewing weather conditions to preparing for what could be a long day on the line, Wolf says the pre-shift routine is the most critical part of his job.
"You don't wanna be getting ready at the scene of the call. You wanna be prepared, you know, going into the call. You wanna know all your equipment's working, your batteries are fully charged," Wolf said.
Fire officials say the responsibility to prepare doesn't stop with firefighters. Cal Fire Captain and Public Information Officer Oscar Sotelo is urging residents to take action now, before an emergency strikes.
"We'd hope that people take advantage of their time now, not when that emergency is happening, because they might get too flustered and make those mistakes, right? So right now, there are no fires going on in the county if they have the time during this weekend, especially to just prepare a go bag," Sotelo said.
For Wolf, the demanding preparation is driven by a simple motivation.
"I'm able to help people, which is a big thing for me. I wanted to be able to help the public," Wolf said.
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