V.C. Fire Department employs thermal imaging cameras
By Eliav Appelbaum eliav@theacorn.com

The Ventura County Fire Department recently received a $20,000 grant to purchase two thermal imaging cameras. The high-tech imagers, each the size of a handheld video camcorder, will be used by fire engine companies based in the Ojai Valley.

"They allow us to see through the dark and the smoke. You can use them to see fire inside a wall," said Battalion Chief Ken Maffei. "They're very sensitive to differences in temperature."

The department currently has 26 thermal imaging cameras, including five used by Camarillo firefighters. This year the department purchased 21 of the hightech cameras, seven of which replaced old or outdated imagers. The department wants each of its 31 stations to have a camera.

Thermal imaging cameras not only help save lives, they conserve time and energy. Instead of knocking down drywall to see if there's fire inside, firefighters use the cameras to determine if any danger exists. Cameras help "cut the search time in half," said Division Chief Scott Schuster.

Fireman's Fund Insurance Company, Ojai Valley Inn & Spa and Petra Risk Solutions put together the grant package for the Ojai imagers. The Fireman's Fund Heritage program has given more than $17 million in grants since 2004 to fire departments nationwide.

Ventura County firefighters have used thermal imaging technology since 1998, Capt. Barry Parker said. The department wanted to make sure that the cameras were worth the hefty price tag. Schuster, who helped coordinate efforts to acquire the cameras, said each imager costs about $10,000.

The Ventura County Fire Department organized a field evaluation in May 2006. During that test, manufacturers were invited to present their products. After a full day of rigorous examinations, the department selected the K1000 Elite, an imager made by ISG Thermal Systems USA Inc., based in Lawrenceville, Ga.

"You don't want to buy a flash in the pan," Schuster said. "We like to take a deliberate look at things. We've taken the time to know how they work. We bought a few, used them and realized this is something that has tremendous value, and we'll use it as a routine part of our (work)."

The department wanted to outfit fire companies in more remote locations first; that's why three of four engine companies in Ojai have cameras. Even when there's no immediate threat to life, ideally both interior and backup teams will carry cameras.

Maffei said, "We use (the thermal imagers) pretty often, at every fire or every report of a fire."

The thermal imaging cameras are just part of a growing trend toward technological sophistication in firefighting.

"The technology is going to keep improving," Schuster said. "Just look at the evolution of a firefighter. There used to be no breathing apparatus or flameresistant clothing. Now we have flame-resistant clothing and breathing apparatus and thermal imaging cameras. . . . The list of how to use these cameras is up to the user's imagination. It's definitely a fantastic tool."