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Staff at Sparta shooting complex trying to stay cool

BY LES WINKELER, THE SOUTHERN

Tuesday, August 7, 2007 7:02 AM CDT

SPARTA - Welcome to Southern Illinois. Shooters and spectators at the Amateur Trapshooting Association's Grand American got Southern Illinois' double weather-whammy Monday - searing heat and stifling humidity.

By 11:30 a.m. the MedStar Ambulance's cooling center on the World Shooting and Recreational Complex's east trap line was fairly crowded.

Shooters and spectators gathered around picnic tables, enjoying cold drinks and cool breezes.

A thermometer on one of the center's fans registered 80 degrees.

The 80 degrees felt absolutely balmy as compared to the 90-plus degrees and 100-plus heat index outside the tents.

"Those (fans) are called swamp coolers," said Lee Davis of MedStar. "They cool by blowing cool air across water vapor. That drops the temperature about 20 degrees.

"If (people) further dehydrate we can take them in the first-aid stand and start IVs and transport them to the hospital if they needed."

Davis worked the Grand American last year. He said 143 people were treated throughout the event last year, most for heat-related problems.

"There were probably a couple hundred people a day stopping by just to cool off (last year)," Davis said. "Heat was the major problem last year and it's going to be warmer this year.

"We're just getting started. It's going to be hot today and the next three to four days," he added.

The keys to avoiding heat-related problems are simple - staying hydrated and seeking respite from the sun. However, even the simplest rules are forgotten in the heat of competition.

"People, they forget," Davis said. "They get excited about shooting and just forget."

At least on Monday, the heat was a hot topic. Nearly as many people were seen carrying water bottles as well as shotguns. Throughout the grounds spectators and shooters wrapped cold compresses around their necks and sought out the meager shade.

On the other hand, some staff members were subjected to the blistering heat most of the day.

State Trooper Robin Robison of Carbondale had sweat beads on his forehead at about 10 a.m. Monday while he directed traffic in front of the Events Center.

"It's going to be 100-plus today and the next few days," he said. "It's going to be tough."

A small tent set up nearby offered just a touch of shade.

"We just take a lot of water breaks and get under our little tent there as often as possible," Robison said. "It gives you a little bit of shade; it can keep the sun off you. We have our cars nearby and the Events Center is nearby, so we can run in there if we get too hot."

The 100 or so scorers up and down the firing line probably absorb more heat than anyone. They sit in the middle of the field for seven to eight hours, protected by just a small umbrella.

"It keeps the sun away from you, but as far as heat-wise, no," said Charlotte Hatch of Richland, Mo. "The heat is attracted to the fabric."

She was prepared for a long day.

"I'm pretty much out here all day," Hatch said. "I just try to stay hydrated. Don't try to eat until after it cools off a little bit. Sometimes if you eat, sometimes you get sick from it."

Jeff Knopfel, a scorer from Kentucky, said the heat has a cumulative effect through the day.

"The longer the day goes, the more your eyes start hurting from staring so hard and trying to concentrate so you don't miss anything," he said. "There is supposed to be relief every so often. There is supposed to be someone walking through here to relieve everyone. If we need a break, they usually come and help us."

And, as hot as it was Monday, it could have been worse. The sun frequently dipped behind massive cloud banks and a breeze, warm though it was, blew fairly steadily.

"That's the only good thing," Knopfel said. "Having a breeze."

The Grand American competition resumes at 9 a.m. today. It continues through Saturday, Aug. 18.

les.winkeler@thesouthern.com

351-5088