The thermal demands of flood rescue and impacts on task performance.

The aim of this study was to determine the thermal demand of simulated Flood Rescue tasks and impacts on performance. Ten participants undertook two simulations: 'Cold' (4 °C) -participants stood in knee height moving water (4.8 km·h-1), with simulated wind and rain for 60 min. 'Warm' (20 °C) - participants performed 6x7 min walking in knee height moving water (3.2 km·h-1), pulling 10 kg. Grip strength, manual dexterity, and jump height were measured pre and post. The cold resulted in cooling of the great toe and finger (9.98 [0.84]°C and 10.38 [8.21-12.1] °C, respectively). Jump height, manual dexterity and grip strength fell by 20%, 22% and ∼13%, respectively. In the 'Warm': heart rates were 157 (19) b·min-1, oxygen consumption 30.62 (7.83) mL.kg-1·min-1, and sweat loss 1.06 (0.31) L. There were no differences in the physical tests. Flood Rescue represents significant, but different, challenges. Remaining static in the cold resulted in peripheral neuromuscular cooling, whilst exercising in the warm resulted in a significant thermal challenge. Practitioner Summary: Little is known about the physical requirements, thermal profiles and optimum personal protective equipment for flood rescue. Flood rescue represents significant challenges. In the cold, emergency responders may be incapacitated by peripheral cooling. In the heat, they may be incapacitated by heat-related exhaustion. Consideration should be given to these risks.

Exploring Flood Response Challenges, Training Needs, and the Impact of Online Flood Training for Lifeguards and Water Safety Professionals in South Africa.

Flooding is a significant cause of human and economic loss in the African region, including in South Africa. Flood mitigation and response in South Africa is challenging due to a range of environmental, infrastructure, and policy constraints. Lifeguards represent a potential additional workforce to bolster flood mitigation and response. This study aimed to explore the feasibility and acceptability of online flood safety training for water safety professionals in South Africa, as well as assess the current flood response capacity and future needs of this group. Online surveys were completed by a convenience sample of South African water safety professionals (including lifeguards) pre-and post a series of four online flood training workshops. Free text responses were thematically coded and flood knowledge was compared between the pre-and post-workshop survey respondents. Sixty-eight responses were analysed (64.7% pre-workshop phase; 63.2% male, 29.4% aged 50-59 years). A range of challenges in flood mitigation and response were identified including equipment, training, and a lack of government support. However, positives were also identified including respondents' willingness to assist in flood emergencies and good cooperation with neighbouring countries and across the region. Opportunities for better cross-municipal and government communication were discussed. In times of crisis, or in resource poor settings, water safety professionals can bolster traditional flood mitigation and response capacity. Opportunities exist to harness this willingness, but also improve cross-governmental and municipal knowledge sharing to improve future flood mitigation and response efforts in South Africa.