The power of fire. Flames that can get as hot as 2500 degrees or more. When wind-driven, they destroy, injure and kill.
Now, the Kosciusko Fire Department is using the newest technology that could help save the life of a person trapped inside an engulfed building with its new thermal imaging mask.
“Since I started being a fire fighter 24 years ago there have been two really big innovations with the invention of the compressed air foam system that we have on our trucks and this new mask setup,” Kosciusko Fire Chief Duane Burdine said. “Now we don’t have to worry about our interior crew feeling around for a victim, with this they can walk in a structure and find a victim immediately.”
Firefighters have used hand-held thermal imaging cameras since the 1990s to see through the thick smoke often encountered during fires. Advancements in thermal imaging technology have now reduced the size of the components and enabled new applications. Manufacturer Scott Sight incorporates a lightweight camera and display in the firefighter's mask, keeping the thermal image in view at all times.
“Imagine you are a victim in the middle of a room, we send one man is touching the wall and other grabs his foot and sweeps the room, so we could easily go right by you.,” Burdine added. “With this new mask we can see you right when we go in the house.”
“The first thermal imaging camera we got was almost $14K, while this entire mask setup costs about a tenth the price at $1,400,” Burdine said. “We have two separate masks for our entire crew, but we will still use our handheld to search for hot spots after the fire has been extinguished.”
Scott Sight first released the hands-free thermal imager a few months ago, but are already planning future upgrades that will include the Bluetooth signal with the capability of pairing with a phone. This upgrade would allow for a Fire Chief to have a visual and direct his interior crew from the outside.
