Of particular concern, is the multi-faceted exposure firefighters have to toxins directly from firefighting (foams and chemicals released while burning in buildings), from the gear they wear, the water they drink at the fire stations, and the toxic residues and dust in fire stations from stored gear.  

New Hampshire House Bill 1214 was intended to prohibit the use of flammable treatment on upholstery products since we believe that during a fire, the responders are exposed to toxins when these burn — even though they have self-contained breathing apparatus the firefighters are exposed when the toxins get on their equipment and firefighters working outside the structures are unprotected and exposed to smoke.

"They can be used for anything from search and rescue inside a home to search and rescue in a lost wooded area. They can be used to find hot spots inside walls, buildings," Captain Josh Cox said.

The firefighters said it is a critical piece of equipment often used in fire response.

"A lot of times smoke may be visible, but the actual fire may be in a wall, it may be in a ceiling. It may not be visible through the drywall. Through the thermal imaging, we can see where the sparks are coming from, where the fire is coming from. That way we know where to attack it," Avoca Volunteer Fire Department's administrative president David Long said.