Warning for roofers after death in Butler County

(WICHITA, Kan.) — It’s only May, but the Rose Hill fire chief is warning roofers to take precautions in the heat.

Chief Jim Woydziak is handing out brochures to crews in town after a heat related death in Butler County Monday.

"We tried to make contact with every crew we could find," says Woydziak.

The man was working on a roof when co-workers tried driving him to the hospital.  An ambulance met the crew, but it was too late.  The man died a short time later.

Record breaking temperatures soared to 100 degrees Monday.

The brochures, written in both English and Spanish, remind crews to take basic precautions.  They also explain terms like heat index, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.

There are lots of roofing crews in Rose Hill after a spring hail storm several weeks ago damaged most of the roofs in town.

Woydiziak says the temperatures may fall in the short term, but the summer months are right around the corner.