These helpful hints will consist of different applications or approaches to using thermal imaging as well as tactical techniques.
As with anything that we do in the fire service, proficiency only happens with continuous practice. This month we will talk about due diligence, firefighter safety, thermal inversion, practicing size-up, and training.
DUE DILIGENCE
A thermal imager (TI) is a great tool to use to ensure total extinguishment and to identify smoldering materials or look for hidden fires. This is called due diligence. Note that TIs have tools within the tools themselves, including black/white/grayscale, sliding bar scale temperature, spot digital temperature measurement, and high heat colorization yellow/orange/red. Some may have advanced special features that isolate warmer areas with different colors. Each one of these features will help the TI user isolate any potential possibility of a rekindle.
FIREFIGHTER SAFETY
A TI is a great tool to use to monitor firefighters for rehabilitation purposes. Firefighters doing the same job or task should be the same shade or color, but an overheated firefighter would show up whiter (white hat syndrome) than other firefighters. Note that turnout gear being worn today can give a firefighter a false sense of protection as he may not feel the heat as much and take risks of standing or walking in superheated areas, which may cause damage to his personal protective equipment (PPE) and self- contained breathing apparatus. Do you know what the temperature of your PPE is rated for?
1 Showing hot spots within the interior wall. (Photos courtesy of Bullard.)
2 Comparison of three firefighters, with one showing more heat saturation.
3 Firefighters in thermal inversion as the asphalt parking lot is warmer.
4 Size-up at a training burn building is a good area to practice.
5 A firefighter conducting a room search.
THERMAL INVERSION
Thermal inversion will occur when the surrounding background becomes warmer than the environment that the firefighter is in. In a normal room scenario, we would be the warmest and brightest heat signature as our body temperatures are 98.6°F (37°C), and the room would show up as darker (cooler environment). Turn the thermostat up to 120°F (48°C) and watch what happens as the room gets warmer, brighter, and whiter and we become gray or darker. This can happen when we arrive on scene and have heat built up already and thermal inversion has occurred.
Note that the color of your victims will then go from normal white to gray to darker. Therefore, you must look for what could be the head, arms, legs, and torso. To change this thermal inversion scenario, you must cool the room to revert back to normal black/white/ gray scale.
PRACTICE SIZE-UP
Conduct exterior size-up observations using the fire station or accessory buildings using a TI. Look at the building construction materials for emissivity values—i.e., roof, walls, doors, and windows; conduct a complete 360. Note that to get a better understanding of the emissivity values, conduct a tactical 360 around your firehouse immediately after breakfast, right after lunchtime, and after dinnertime. You will get three different readings because of the earth’s rotation of the sun.
Check for power lines and fences that may cause apparatus placement issues. Practice regularly. Regular drills and practice sessions will enhance familiarity with the TI and its functionalities.
TRAINING
A TI is an excellent tool used by fire training instructors and interior safety officers to monitor students for safety. By recording their activities, you can show them proper or incorrect search techniques. This helps the firefighters develop good foundational skills in areas including accountability, conducting effective search patterns, and handling a hose.
Check training manuals. Always refer to the manufacturer’s training manual for specific features and operations. TIs have limitations, and that technology does not replace or alter basic safety procedures and basic search techniques.
Sometimes it is just that little reminder that there are so many applications of where a TI is such a useful tool if you think outside the box besides just for firefighting applications.
MANFRED KIHN is a 19-year veteran of the fire service, having served as an ambulance officer, emergency services specialist, firefighter, captain, and fire chief. He has been a member of Bullard’s Emergency Responder team since 2005 and is the company’s fire training specialist for thermal imaging technology. He is certified through the Law Enforcement Thermographers’ Association (LETA) as a thermal imaging instructor and is a recipient of the Ontario Medal for Firefighters Bravery. If you have questions about thermal imaging, email him at Manfred_kihn@bullard.com.
