Thermal Imaging in the Volunteer Sector

This month, I’d like to reflect on the volunteer sector of the fire service, which accounts for the majority of firefighters in North America today.

A volunteer defined by Webster’s Dictionary is “a person who voluntarily undertakes or expresses a willingness to undertake a service.” Volunteerism is “the act or practice of doing volunteer work in community service.” Many volunteer firefighters receive no remuneration for their time, while others receive a small yearly stipend for the number of hours they work. Some volunteer fire departments train once a week, others train biweekly, and some only train once a month—yes, that is only 12 times a year. Of course, that assumes that the volunteer firefighter attends all 12 training sessions, taking into consideration his full-time job, vacation, sickness, family matters, etc.

Some fire departments have a dedicated training officer, while others train on what the chief deems to be essential. A typical training night could consist of vehicle and equipment checks, which can take a while depending on how many apparatus the department has and how many firefighters show up for training that night. Then there’s self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) or ladder drill training that evening followed by a meeting. Federal legislation, municipal bylaws, and fire marshals’ directives all say and dictate what a firefighter must be trained on and to what standard or level based on jurisdiction.

From my perspective, I see the volunteer firefighter having to give more and more to stay on as a volunteer serving to protect the community. The requirements and standards as they apply to the fire apparatus, personal protective equipment, and firefighting equipment must be met by the volunteer firefighter to perform his job. Not part of the standard firefighting requirements is the use of operating a thermal imaging camera (TIC). For many fire departments, this valuable tool is considered a luxury. Some chiefs who have fought fires for many years and never used or owned a TIC ask, why do they need one now? Fortunately, society has changed, and so have tactics, and the use of a TIC has made the job safer and to a degree easier. Some departments have municipal budgets; others rely on donations and fundraisers in the community to keep operations going and purchase equipment.

I know of a volunteer fire department w