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How to stay safe while hiking this fall

First responders in Huntsville have rescued 18 hikers in just the last year. Most of those rescues happen in the fall.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Fall is a big time for hiking, but that also means it's a time when more people need to be rescued.

First responders in Huntsville have rescued 18 hikers in just the last year.

Deputy Chief Wesley Ogle with Huntsville Fire & Rescue said, "That could range just from finding a lost person and guiding them out to going in and carrying out somebody with a broken leg or even that's had a heart attack on the trail, and we've done all those in the last year."

When hiking, do not rely on your cell phone. Before you leave, tell someone where you're going and how long you plan to be out.

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"When you get up on the trails up on the mountain, you don't always have cell phone coverage, so that becomes a big problem in a lot of cases," said Ogle. "When we get a 9-1-1 call from a cell phone that's in poor cell phone reception areas, it doesn't give us the location of that phone, so we start with basically a blank slate."

Huntsville Fire & Rescue crews say most of the hiking rescues they make are at night. Know where you are going and how long the trail will take to hike.

"If they didn't anticipate being out after dark, they rely on the flashlight on their cell phone which in turn kills their cell phone battery and we're back to square one," Ogle Said.

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Whether you're a pro hiker or have never been, know what trails you can handle.

Make sure to check the weather before you go and dress accordingly. Typically, hiking in sandals is not a good idea.

Ogle said, "If we have a cold front coming in in North Alabama, you could go from 70 degrees to 30 degrees in a matter of just a couple of hours."

If you do get lost while hiking, stay on the trail. Rescue teams can find you more quickly if you stay in one spot.

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