Waltham Fire Department and Disabilities Services Commission Secure Donation Funding for New Thermal Imaging Devices

The following was submitted by the Waltham Fire Department on Friday, Feb. 22.

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The Waltham Fire Department will be placing two (2) new, ISG XR Thermal Imaging Devices in service thanks to funding secured from the Waltham Disabilities Services Commission. The $20,000 donation allows the Waltham Fire Department to better equip its companies (Rescue 6 and Ladder 2) with state of the art thermal imagers.  This new equipment will provide better protection for areas within the city which contain the highest concentration of our disabled populations.

The donation from the Waltham Disabilities Service Commission comes as a result of (various?) grant funding along with the commission’s continuous fundraising efforts which are put toward increasing the safety of disabled members of the Waltham community.

Thermal Imaging Cameras have become an essential tool for the fire service. The use of these devices helps firefighters conduct more efficient search and rescue operations by providing a form of sight in an otherwise smoke-filled, blinding environment.  By keying on heat signatures and temperature variations, thermal imaging cameras allow firefighters to locate heat sources such as the fire itself or see objects such as victims overcome by smoke.  The thermal imagers can also help locate victims lost in unfavorable weather conditions, and in some cases with water rescues. Furthermore, thermal imagers assist firefighters with locating heat and fire behind walls and investigating potential electrical issues.  Overall, with the proper use of thermal imagers the Waltham Fire Department can increase fire ground and firefighter safety.  The new devices are NFPA compliant and show the temperature variations in a full color display as opposed to a greyscale used on older units.  More information on the new thermal imaging devices can be found at http://www.isgfire.com/elitexr.html.