PHOENIX —
With temperatures soaring near 110 degrees in Phoenix, many people avoid going outside as much as they can.
But what about those who have to work in the heat?
Team 12's Mike Gonzalez set out to find some of the hottest jobs in Phoenix -- literally.
As he found out, people who have to work in this heat seem to make the best of it.
For Nicholas Wagner, working as a downtown Phoenix ambassador means being outside every single day.
You can't miss him in his orange shirt. His job is to answer questions for visitors to downtown Phoenix.
"It can be kind of brutal because it’s hot out here," said Wagner, who has been on the job for nine months.
But Wagner says he always makes the best of the heat.
He says walking around during the summer is a challenge but he takes all the necessary precautions. Wagner drinks plenty of water, wears a wide-brim hat and even uses sun-blocking sleeves to battle UV rays.
"I'm drinking lots of water all the time," said Wagner.
"If I’m not drinking water it’s because I’m talking to somebody. I'm always real positive about the heat with guests of the city."
If Wagner doesn’t have the hottest job in Phoenix, he’s close.
In our walk around downtown Phoenix, we found guys with some of the hottest professions on the planet, like Dustin Doty who’s in town from Seattle, building elevators at a downtown high-rise.
"I'm carrying ice and Gatorade. I can’t stand it. I have a headache right now," said Doty.
Rich Larson who’s been surveying construction sites for 25 years says he knows how to handle the heat.
“If you wait until you need water it’s too late … generally I try to drink a bottle of water every half an hour.”
For more than 40 years, Ed The Hotdogger has been selling his dogs on the corner of First and Jefferson.
But what’s his secret to surviving the heat?
"Prayers and a lot of water," Ed said with a smile. He told us that he worked during the hottest day ever in Phoenix -- when it hit 122 degrees.
But we found what may be the hottest job in Phoenix -- laying asphalt.
The crew was putting in a parking lot at the corner of 24th and Roosevelt streets. They survive with proper clothing, plenty of water and the occasional break.
"I would say we drink about a gallon every hour or so. You just have to be prepared and ready to work. The asphalt can get up to 300 degrees," Francisco Varela, who's been working with Gonzalez Asphalt for six years.
"I'm a driver and pick it up at that temperature. When it hits the pavement and it's 110 (degrees), you can only imagine how hot it is for these guys."
As for Wagner, he may be the happiest guy in the Valley of the Sun -- who's always making the best of a sticky situation.
"For me, the hottest part of the day is right around 8 or 9 o’clock when the clubs all get going. All the people are out here," said Wagner.
"And the entertainment starts to get real hot down here. That’s the most important hot part of the day."