“You don’t think you’re gonna win,” Buck said. “It’s a pretty neat deal.”

The men smiled as Buck held the camera and posed in front of a fire engine.

Buck said the win for the department came as a surprise since the conference hosted firefighters from around the globe.

Argus representative Doug Nelle called it the industry’s largest trade show as he and Daco Fire Equipment sales representative Garrett Dobmeier handed the camera over to Buck and congratulated him.

Nelle said Buck was the first camera recipient, as the company picked a winner each day at the three-day conference, which hosted an estimated 35,000 attendees.

The camera was described by Nelle as a generational improvement on what his company has been developing for 35 years.

He said the company was at the conference to highlight the product and the drawing was part of the promotion.

The camera, listed as an Argus Mi-TIC S, uses thermal technology in order to identify objects through smoke and darkness.

CONYERS — Rockdale Fire and Rescue personnel who want to be able to drive and operate fire trucks are being put through their paces this week, taking promotional testing for fire apparatus operation.

Firefighters must be on the job for three years before they can begin qualifying. Then the testing is more than just how they safely drive a fire truck. It also includes being able to hook a water line up to a fire hydrant, then run the water through the pump on the truck into hoses for fighting fires, and maintaining the correct pressures in the hoses.

Firefighters hoping to qualify were tested on the pump scenario in front of and behind the Rockdale County Board of Elections office on Parker Road. Judges from other fire departments in the area were brought in to score the candidates on their efforts.

"These face pieces have the glass and plastic upgraded to resist higher temperatures," said Chief Steve Lohr, Hagerstown Fire Department. "Another thing we will be getting with these mask is a voice enunciator that screws in to allow for clear radio communication and clear one-on-one firefighter connection."

The chief said that firefighters attend to more than 100 fires in Hagerstown and being able to have some updated gear, especially the face masks, will not only protect them, but also save lives.

"This will enhance their safety on the street and in building fires," Lohr said. "So, we are absolutely ecstatic about being one of the awardees across the nation this year."

The gear will not be purchased until City Council gives their approval. The chief said the grant is subject to a 10 percent match and they will take up the matter with the city on June 7.

Sunlight reflection and murky waters make it difficult to see far below the surface, but Froom says the Howard fire department's latest water rescue sonar and underwater camera equipment enhances emergency responses when saving lives of people and animals.

On May 25, special operations Capt. Vince Baker unveiled the new remotely operated vehicle underwater camera, known as the ROV, and the side-scan sonar-detecting rescue boat at the Centennial Lake boat ramp in Ellicott City.

Fire Chief John Butler and County Executive Allan Kittleman were there to see the unveiling.

Using underwater cameras and sonar technology, water rescue crews are shortening time periods in finding, rescuing and recovering drowning victims. Baker said the equipment also assists in police investigations, hazmat detection and bridge and dam damage assessments and inspections.

"[Divers are] crawling through the water and it takes multiple hours to just eliminate this area" where victims were last seen, Baker said. "When we put the ROV into the water, we immediately see targets and images on the screen and eliminate them."

Purchased using department budget funds, the side-scan sonar cost roughly $2,400, Baker said, and an additional $80,000 for the ROV and its sonar. The equipment was put into service in mid-October.