Thermal Imaging Carl Nix
I recently returned from Asia where I was training firefighters on the use of thermal imaging camera (TIC) technology.
As I boarded the plane for my flight home, I realized how similar firefighters are from one continent to another. We are all brothers and sisters and face many of the same challenges when responding to fire calls. Many of the training tips that I’ve highlighted in this column I shared with these firefighters during my trip. As we welcome in a new year, I thought it would be helpful to recap some of the training tips and guidelines I’ve shared during the year that resonate with firefighters across all continents.
Nonfire Calls
The number of nonfire calls a department receives each month continues to outnumber the fire-related calls. This doesn’t mean that your TIC shouldn’t be with you on a nonfire call. Using a TIC for everyday nonfire emergency incidents is a smart use of this technology. Let’s look at a few tips for using a TIC on nonfire calls.
Motor vehicle accidents. When arriving on the scene, it’s critical to determine how many people were in the vehicle prior to the accident to account for all parties. Use your TIC to check the automobile seats for hot spots to determine how many people were in the car. A TIC cannot see through glass, so be sure to open or remove the door or window of the vehicle before you scan. Don’t scan just one seat but multiple seats at the same time for comparative purposes, since your TIC will show residual heat. What you’re looking for is contrasting heat signatures.
Search and rescue. How many times has your local police department called you for help with locating a missing person? Maybe it’s an elderly woman who has wandered away from her home or a child who has gotten lost in the woods. Use the TIC to pick up heat spots that can help guide you to a missing person. It often cuts minutes off a search that can mean the difference between life and death.
Hazmat. Even if you don’t have a trained hazmat team, you surely have responded to hazmat calls such as an overturned vehicle or tanker truck, a chemical emergency, or a meth lab fire. Using a TIC helps you see what the naked eye cannot see: tracing a spill on the roadway in a rain storm, seeing the gases of a container at a safe distance, or seeing the content level of an enclosed container at a safe distance.
1 2 3 Your number of fire calls may be down, but you need to be ready with the proper training, knowledge, and tools. (Photos courtesy of Bullard.)
Fire Calls
Your number of fire calls may be down, but you need to be ready with the proper training, knowledge, and tools. Here are a few TIC guidelines when responding t