melanie has the day off. we've had lower temperatures and lower humidity but its all about to change from what we hear, in a big way, as america celebrates another birthday. gwen tolbert tracks things down in the weather center for us. good morning. >> good morning. and the heat is on. let's take a look at where we stood when temperatures were pretty close to seasonal at 87 at national and 89 at baltimore. and they're rising today. and if you look at current teams, we're already in the low 70s, mid to upper 60s and it's only 8:00 in the morning. 71 at national airport. 72 degrees at baltimore. and 67 degrees at dulles. now we've got a ridge of high pressure that is large and in charge. take a look at the east coast. you can see all of the clear conditions. precipitation is well off to the west and that is the ridge of high pressure locking in the heat we'll end up getting in the course of today. and so be prepared for that because we're going so see our temperatures soaring into the 90s. and today we have air code quality orange. so seniors and young children, make sure you are aware of that in terms of heat. 95 degrees is our daytime high. no shortage of sunshine and perfect weather for the festivities today, including the five works for tonight. clear skies and no complaints there at all. do have plenty of liquids and plenty of sun lotion because the heat can be dangerous. sarah. >> thank you, gwen. now off the top this morning, metro has pulled 100 rail cars out of service after several reports of the doors opening while the cars are moving. it happened late last night and includes the 4,000 series cars. officials are inspecting the door motors looking for possible shorts in the circuitry and will make needed repairs and return them to service. the hope is to have them back to use in two to three weeks. metro said the move is not in response to any particular incident but it does come days after a frightening accident. a mother was boarding a metro train after the door slammed shut on the child still inside of it. >> it got caught right here. >> reporter: elsia chi's young son was just inside. they had just wrapped up an outing at the national zoo. they began boarding the train at the woodly park station. >> i was waiting there. it's not like i was taking my time, my son got on the train and i was following behind him. >> reporter: and that's when the door slammed shut on the stroller and she frantically tried to pry them open. >> i took my leg and i was trying to push it open and i was trying to push with my arm and i couldn't get it open and then my son started crying and then i was crying. >> reporter: this passenger was one of the people that came to the rescue. >> it took a while. it wasn't an instant open. and it opens and then closed again and it was a very intense moment there. >> reporter: finally they were able to free the stroller and the toddler. no one was hurt but chi wonders how the train operator could have missed seeing her struggling to free her child. >> i'm like a 5-8, 5-9 build and for someone not be able to see me or take a chance or time to look back to see me pushing a stroller, it just seems crazy to me. >> reporter: metro told us yesterday that unlike elevator doors, rail car doors are warning to shut firmly. there are warnings that the doors are closing and that the train operator is supposed to do a visual check before taking off. chi said she reports the incident because she doesn't want the same thing to happen to someone else. she said she was told the agency reviewed the videotapes and spoke with the train operator. >> they told me as of now they are going to do retraining and the train operator has been pulled off the train. >> i enjoy riding the metro and my kids enjoy the metro, i'm not trying to put a negative spin on the metro i would just really like to know that the problem is resolved. >> that was roz plater reporting. now metro told us the incident that they are talking about there is under review and again officials say the move to pull the trains last night is not related to any particular incident. also new this morning, another accident involving metro. a man got stuck under a train at the minnesota avenue station in northeast. at about 2:30 this morning, it took an hour and a half to get him out. officials say he is not a metro employee and so far no word on how he went from the platform to the track. he was taken to a local hospital and is listed in grave condition. meanwhile nine firefighters are off the job this weekend in spotsylvania county. the terminations followed an alleged sexual attack on a teenage volunteer. she claimed a group of volunteer firefighters lured her out of bed saying they were going to play a game. she claims she soaked her with a fire hose and carried her into a shower and one of the firefighters made serious sexual advances. >> we're dealing with kids. there is a fine line. and a lot of things that go on, they anticipate or think it's a game and at what point in time did it cross the line and this certainly crossed the line. >> the sheriff's office identified the suspect as steven perry but deputies have not arrested him. wssc says it's serious about customers cutting back on water. police are handing out warnings for people still watering lawns but some are ignoring the threats -- of a $500 fine. one landscaper has tried to explain why he was not turned off the fountain or sprinkler. >> we are sitting on two foot of ground, that's all we have. [ inaudible ] this is going to drop in about three hours. all of this grass will be dead in two days. >> wssc is still sticking to restrictions. crews are fixing a failing water main that started all of this but 2 million customers still face water restrictions for a few more days. it is going to be a hot and sticky 4th of july and if you are heading down to the national mall for the concert, one of the best ways to stay cool is to know the dos and don'ts of getting through security quickly. we have the details. >> reporter: the 30th anniversary of the capital 4th concert promises to be bigger and better than the rest. that's what jerry coburn hopes and he aunt to know because he's produced all of them. >> we're creating an olympic feeling so you get the whole city and celebrating. >> reporter: the mattis family and friends from virginia claimed front-row seats for the live rehearsal. >> we came last year and came later and we had to sit in the back but this year we got lucky. >> reporter: getting here early means a lot of time in the sun. but you kind have an umbrella and they are prohibits and police were making them put them away. >> in the past years we were able to use small umbrellas until before the show. but it's cool, i'll just cover up. >> reporter: there will be plenty of bottled water and staff for heat-related illnesses but the better you are prepared, the better you'll weather the weather. >> be sure to bring plenty of water or with elderly folks or children, be mindful of the amount of time in lines. >> reporter: and one man is thinking about returning to d.c. for the 4th in the future. >> so this will be the last one for a couple of years but then we'll be back because we love this place. >> reporter: audrey barns, fox 5 news. >> and an american idol star will help light up the concert today. davidar child ella will sing the national anthem and gladys knight will perform with reba mcentire and dare is rucker. actor jimmy smith will host the concert. >> and there are plenty more dos and don'ts to you're heading down to the mall. and joining us for tips is d.c. fire and rescue chief dennis rubin. thank you so much for talking with us today. >> good morning. happy 4th of july, sarah. >> happy 4th to you. so give us an idea. this is probably going to be a very busy day. there will be a lot of people down on the national mall. given the fact in years past we've had severe weather but today we need to worry about the heat. so what do people know as they are heading down to the national mall today? >> first of all we'll been planning with our partners literally for months. we believe this is going to be a safe and secure 4th of july. we're hoping that many, many people select the option of coming out to the mall instead of attempting fireworks in their neighborhood. the consumer fireworks causes all types of problems, including doubling our response last year so we're hoping that folks take advantage of this great opportunity and follow some simple precautions. >> now what are some of those precautions? you would probably know from years past what the major or most of the calls are that you respond to on the 4th and down on the national mall? what are things people need to be reminded of that they don't take heed of every year. >> first of all our response is to emergency medical heat- related events. so think in advance about hydrating. you need one bottle of water for every hour you are outdoors. the sun is very bright already. it's perhaps 80 degrees. think about the clothing. it should be cotton, light weight, light cotton clothing, much like i have, perhaps loose fitting. don't forget the hat, sunglasses and sun block. and remember that young children aren't going to be able to ask if they don't have verbal skills for the water. so the parents have to monitor that closely to make sure they stay okay. throughout the whole area there is a lot of shade, either in some of the buildings or perhaps in the tents or even under trees and every once in a while take a break from the direct sunlight and get out of the heat. >> and also a lot of people are going to choose to maybe stay at home as you mentioned, not go down to the national mall, but that has other issues as well. there are fireworks out there. people think that everything is legal and everything they can let off and that is not the case and remind people of what they cannot be doing on this 4th of july? >> it is not. we know in america about 10-15 people will lose their lives this 4th of july directly related to fireworks. thousands more will be in injured and millions of dollars will be lost in fire. we don't have to go any further than a couple of days ago in centreville, virginia, a house completely destroyed because of consumer fireworks. so make sure if the children are using them, which is not a good idea to start with, that they have parent supervision. and follow the directions on the box. never use a fire work close to combustibles, that means never near your house or automobile. make sure if the device doesn't activate, give it plenty of time before you declare it a dud and then plunge it into a bucket of water. those are some tips to keep you safe and please remember to go to our website, if it's the district of columbia and determine whether that's a legal and safe fire work to use. ultimately what i would like to see if the fire official responsible for the district of columbia is to not have consumer fireworks at all. this incredibly show that is here, it's safe. obviously the professionals are doing an incredible job and i think everyone is going to have an absolute spectacular time down on the mall. i want to invite all of your listeners and viewers to come down and be with us. >> thank you very much. and in afghanistan, david petraeus is in charge of international forces and what he's saying about the strategy today. and why miami may be hit by the gulf oil spill, new developments are coming your way next. [ air blowing ] [ clattering ] what did you say? no, no, no. [ speaking indistinctly ] [ blowing continues ] [ male announcer ] when you're all out of good ideas and you've moved on to the dumb ones, it's time. american standard heating & air conditioning. a higher standard of comfort. making headlines this morning, poland is voting in a run-off to pick a successor to the president killed in a plane crash. the race pits the twin brother and the current acting press. the first round of voting was held last month but no one won a mandatory majority of the vote. general david petraeus formally took chand of the force in after -- command of the force in afghanistan. he said the chain of command would not signal a radical shift from the mcchrystal strategy. and now to controversial comments aimed at the commander- in-chief. it has the chairman of the republican fire under fire. michael steel said the war in afghanistan was of president obama's choosing and anyone who has tried to win a war in afghanistan over the past 100 years have failed. and now liz cheney and many others are calling for steel to step down. vice president biden is celebrating the 4th in bagdad. the vice president met with top u.s. military brass yesterday and also ran into a group of senators who are on a congressional visit to iraq. he had a brief chat with senators lindsey graham, john mccain and joe lieberman. now to the latest on the oil spill in the gulf of mexico. the newest hope for a clean up is on the back of the a subcalled "the whale." and we have a closer look to save the beaches in florida. >> reporter: as the day wraps up on the eve of the 4th holiday on pensacola beach, the forecast is dismal. >> it's depressing. that's the reason the kids are so excited to come here every year is for the beach. >> reporter: epa administrators toured the beach as crews picked up tar balls. >> they are getting the bigger pieces and leaving the smaller pieces that you just can't get. >> reporter: and when asked if she would go in the water? >> no, i would not go into the water today. >> reporter: and bobby jindal is claiming washington has failed to deliver equipment needing to prevent oil from washing ashore. >> our message to the federal government is pretty simple. get in this war to win it. cut the red trip and bureaucracy. >> reporter: this bat only ruth fisherman who applied for a small business loan was turned down and said he may have to hang it up and move north. >> it's a barricade as a door is locked and you can't get through. >> reporter: but hope floats in the form of the largest swimming vessel in the world and it's called a while. they are testing to see how much oil laden water it can absorb and clean and put back into the ocean. >> that was craig bosswell reporting. the whale is 3 and a half football fields long. they are hoping it could process up to 21,000 gallons of oil a day. landing a federal job can be next to impossible. coming up, the fox 5 money team shows us how local lawmakers are looking to change all of that. fox 5 with an eye on the economy. the u.s. jobless rate is moving in a good direction. it's dropped from 9.7% to 9.5%. the president said that it's a sign the economy is heading in the right direction but others are not so optimistic. >> our economy has created nearly 600,000 private sector jobs this year. that's a stark turn-around from the first six months of jobs last year when we lost 3.7 million jobs at the height of the recession. >> we need a robust, private sector employment growth and that is not coming because of a decrease in confidence. >> the private sector added 83,000 jobs last month but 25% of what analysts predicted and plus the three month average of job growth is down. and if you are looking for a job, the federal government has 500,000 positions to fill in the next four years. we take a look at some of the changes to the application process that will make it easier for you to get hired. mel an almelanie alnwick has more. >> it has been rather convoluted. >> it's challenging. >> it's frustrated you don't hear back. >> reporter: a rap like that can stop those from encouraging employment. even though uncle sam is one of the few hiring right now. >> there are tens of thousands of jobs that are available for the right people with the right skills at the right time. >> reporter: almost 100,000 jobs need to be filled so they are making sure the process works more like the private sector. >> we're in competition with the top employers in the country and we have to have a process that will attract and not discourage people from applications. >> reporter: speed is the address. >> we're trying to make the process speedy and we also are trying to notify applicantses where they stand. >> reporter: agencies will try to do more active recruitment. like this job fair. though the process is done online. these events are helpful to help many connect face-to-face. >> i think it's very important. i think you can't take away from one-on-one communication. >> hopefully it will lead to a position soon. >> reporter: landing a government job is a high priority for many right now. >> more security in your job. good opportunities for advancement. >> reporter: but competition is tough. sometimes 500 applicants for a single position. reforms should make the process easier to give everyone an equal shot at working for uncle sam. >> and that was melanie alnwick reporting. the changes to the application process begin on november 1st. but if you're interested in a federal job, don't wait until then. many agencies make their hiring decisions in early fall. on average the process now takes 130 days. usajobs.gov is the first stop for federal jobs. and here are the stories expected to make headlines in the week ahead. tuesday a funeral service for senator robert byrd. he'll be laid to rest in arlington, virginia. byrd is the longest serving senator in history. he passed away at the age of 92. also on tuesday, queen elizabeth pays a visit to new york city. she will be paying tribute to the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks during a stop to new york's ground zero. her majesty will also address members of the united nations general assembly for only the second time in her rein. and campaign 2010, friday president obama campaigns for senator harry reid of nevada. the senate majority leader is facing a tough opponent in republican nominee sharron angle. reid is hoping a visit by the president will boost his poll numbers. and coming up next, gwen will look at our holiday weekend weather and a workweek preview for us as we take a live look over the thomas jefferson memorial. things will heat up out there. gwen will have the latest for us when we return. [ female announcer ] welcome to busch gardens williamsburg, where d.c. goes to get away. maybe it's because washington d.c. loves the legendary coasters. or that your entire family will have fun, even the little ones. it could be that water country usa has more of the waves, slides and rides everyone wants. so plan your getaway and come play. you never know who you'll run into. get started at buschgardens.com/dc. a story now about free bracelets for fallen heroes. but here is the thing. the maker cannot produce enough of them. a jeweler in texas is now flooding with orders. he specially designs a stainless steel bracelets for people who have lost loved ones in iraq or afghanistan at no cost to the families. carved into the bracelets the names of fallen service members. >> literally within the first five days we probably had received over 1,000 overs and we're well over 1500 orders right now. the way that we're going to be able to make it is i have to keep my machinery running all of the hours, even when my business isn't open. >> well he has volunteers working around the clock to fill the orders. july 4th was the deadline today, but the jeweler does not expect to finish the bracelets until september. for soldiers wounded, there is a golf course in england offering servicemen some needed r & r. greg palcott takes a look at golf therapy. >> reporter: it's a golf course made for kings and brave soldiers. the oil house golf club at the castle was seen at the foundation. it is to get servicemen, many amputees, on the fairway and on the mends. they hear the duke of york. he's an avid golfer.