I love asking firefighters if they use their thermal imagers on every call that they go on and see their reactions!
I had an opportunity to meet with a Deputy Chief, Chief Training Officer and a Training Officer one day. I asked them the same questions.
Q: Did your firefighters use thermal imagers on every call that they responded to?
A: All three of them looked at each other and said ‘No!’
Q: I asked them if their imagers were used for size-up.
A: Again ‘No’.
Q: How about making the initial entry for suppression and victim Search & Rescue?
A: No! I give up.
Q: When do they use their thermal imagers?
A: For overhaul, I was told.
So, this great technology is just sitting in apparatus while the firefighters are doing all the hard work! What do you think of under-utilized technology?
I was at a Fire Station one day when crews were called out, they arrived on the scene within a few minutes, and about five minutes later the Officer called over the radio for someone to bring in the thermal imaging camera (TIC) off the engine. With technology in thermal imaging evolving so rapidly these days imagers have gone from approximately 3kg down to 0.6kg and the most important thing is they have come down in price. There should be no excuse for someone on your crew not to be carrying a thermal imager; just like your radios, flashlights, or Halligan bar your TIC is also an extremely useful tool, but only if you remember to use it!
So, let’s get back to the topic at hand: where can’t I use a thermal imager? Here are some examples of where I can use it, limited by your imagination:
- Search & Rescue
- Electrical Emergencies
- Wildland Firefighting
- Safety Officer
- Explosions
- Scene Assessment
- Overhaul
- Motor Vehicle Incidents
- Fire Attack
- Aircraft Emergencies
- Size Up
- Law Enforcement
- Hazmat
- Ventilation
- Water Rescue
- Line Placement
- Confined Space
- Rehabilitation
- Overheated Machinery
- Training
- Accountability
- EMS
- Incident Command
- Building Construction
- Fire/Arson Investigations
- RIT
- Fire Prevention
- Aerial Operations
A thermal imager is another valuable tool in the toolbox. If in doubt, pull it out and use it to see what kind of information you can read from it. The more you use it, the more proficient you will be.
Let’s talk about Fire Prevention Inspections – electrical panels for overheated breakers, buried electrical cords being walked on, etc., or EMS calls – patient assessment for frostbite, hypothermia, water rescue, or mass casualty triage at a bus incident. Training instructors monitor the safety of their students and even record the event for later playback. Overheated machinery incidents which may include motors, bearings and conveyors. Missing persons – lost 6-year-old girl or Alzheimer’s patient from the seniors home or how many occupants in the vehicle rollover? What about getting the TIC up into the basket of the aerial so the firefighter can see what he is doing through the thick smokey conditions while also assessing for structural integrity and exposure protection, which is valuable information for Command to know.
So now having convinced you to use a thermal imager on every call you respond to, let’s talk about the limitations of using them.
Infrared (IR) can only see to the nearest surface so we cannot see through walls (it’s not X-ray vision), reflections (multiple images) can mess us up from shiny surfaces i.e.: gloss paints, shiny wall-papered walls, shiny linoleum, hardwood or painted concrete floors, mirrors, etc. We also cannot see through glass (unless lead-based) so unless the glass changes colour from the heat when during size-up, don’t expect to see into the room, but as a side note some thermal-imaging manufacturers have what is called video overlay which allows them to see through glass – the video does, not the IR part. IR also cannot see into the water so unless the victim is on the surface during water rescue, thermal imagers do not work for underwater body recovery or fishing. Another limitation is daytime victim search and rescue, or other operations on a hot sunny day (solar loading) where the imager will pick up every object that is warm/hot.
Get creative during training drills to include your thermal imagers. After all they are not just for use in overhaul. Until next time – stay safe!
For more information, go to www.bullard.com
About the Author
Manfred Kihn is a 19-year veteran of the fire service. He has served as a firefighter, captain and fire chief, as well as an ambulance officer. As the Bullard’s fire training specialist for thermal imaging technology, Manfred has been a member of Bullard’s Emergency Responder team since 2005. Manfred is certified through the Law Enforcement Thermographers’ Association as a thermal imaging instructor and he is a recipient of the Ontario Medal for Firefighters Bravery.
