Thermal Imaging Manfred Kihn

When you look at how the fire service has progressed over the years, significant changes in policies, recommendations, and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards have taken place for the betterment of the service.

My first self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) consisted of a steel tank, the most cumbersome regulator that you can imagine, and a face mask that made you feel like a scuba diver. We won’t mention how much it all weighed!

Just imagine the old black and white TV set that had all those knobs and dials for fine tuning and the rabbit ears on top for channels and picture reception. Now go your local electronics store and see what is in stock for the latest and greatest high-definition smart TVs. You will be amazed by today’s technology, improvements, and competitive pricing. The same can be said of the drastic changes and improvements in the world of thermal imagers (TIs).

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For most equipment the fire service uses, there are guidelines for replacement, such as the following:

• Personal protective equipment (PPE)—10 years.
• Fire apparatus, depending on the type of department (i.e., frontline, engine, ladder, rescue)—eight to 25 years.
• SCBA—10 years.
• Fire hose—good until it fails the annual testing, or some departments operate on a six- to 10-year equipment replacement cycle.

However, TIs have no time frame. So, when do you replace them?

NFPA REQUIREMENTS

The current NFPA 1801, Standard on Thermal Imagers for the Fire Service—2021 edition, does not stipulate a replacement time or that a fire department purchase a certified TI. However, it does list the following key requirements:

6.1.2 All thermal imagers shall be capable of continuously operating for a minimum of 120 minutes in TI Basic mode without the power source being changed or recharged.

6.1.5 The thermal imager shall incorporate a sensor engine consisting of an infrared sensor with at least 76,800 imaging pixels.

6.1.7 All thermal imagers shall have a minimum video refresh rate of 25 frames per second in both the detector and the display.

6.6.1 The thermal imager shall have a viewing area that contains operational information for the thermal imager user.

6.6.4.1.4 Where the thermal imager is equipped with temperature measurement, the viewing area shall include a numeric temperature indicator, a temperature bar, or both.

6.6.4.2.2 Colorization shall overlay the grayscale thermal images produced by the thermal imager. Details within the thermal image and within the colorization area shall remain resolvable by the user other than at saturation.

6.6.4.2.3 The colors yellow, orange, and red shall have a corresponding, temperature-dependent change in hue as temperatures increase.

6.6.4.6.1 All thermal imagers equipped with a low sensitivity mode shall have a low sensitivity mode indicator.