Fire department purchases thermal imagers

By RICHARD JENKINS

rjenkins@yourdailyglobe.com

Ironwood Township -— The Ironwood Township Volunteer Fire Department recently purchased six personal thermal imagers, making it one of the first departments in the county to equip its members with the smaller versions of the technology.

“Typically, … in a fire setting, (thermal imagers) are used to locate hotspots inside the wall. They can also tell the temperature of the room, whether it’s getting to be that point of flashover. They’re used in low light situations when it’s smoke filled and (fire fighters are) searching, looking for occupants of the home. They’ll be able to detect people lying underneath beds, in closets,” Fire Chief Robert Brentar said, adding the thermal imagers can also be used to detect the heat signatures of missing people or to detect pipeline leaks.

“They detect heat signatures, basically,” he said.

The department used a pair of grants — a $7,500 grant from Enbridge Inc. and a $1,250 Walmart grant -- to help fund the purchase of the personal units and a larger, hand-held truck unit.

Along with helping the department respond to scenes, Brentar said the personal thermal imagers will also help make fighting structure fires a little safer.

“I am always thinking about the ‘what ifs’ and minimizing any kind of risk,” he said. “So the way we operate is, when we go to a structure fire … all fire departments have what’s called a ‘two in, two out’ rule. So we have our two people that are the entry team that will be making the entry into the structure, and then we have two right outside the door ready to go in should something happen to (the entry team), and then we have another two that are suited up, ready to go in case something happens. We’re six people deep. ... All six of them will have one of those units.

“So while they’re inside the building … if they feel the environment changing, they have that technology right at their fingertips to pop it up and see what the temperature in the building is doing, in case it gets close to flashover.”

The entire purchase cost $9,700, Brentar said, with each personal unit running $600.

Although he hoped the warning the equipment provides won’t be needed, it’s better for the department to have it available.

“I’d rather have the tools and not have them ever get used, rather than have them be needed and not have them and say, ‘We could have prevented something, had we had them,’” Brentar said.