Firefighters spend a lot of time training. This training can include pump and aerial operations, donning turnout gear, hose extending and pulling drills, ceiling breach exercises, forcible entry drills, and victim drags and carries. Most departments would consider these important for training, but how much time does your fire department devote to specific training with thermal imagers (TIs)?
TI training shouldn’t just be observing fire behavior and how it looks on the TI’s display. It should also include ensuring that the TI is ready for use, understood by the firefighters, and deployed in actual firefighting tasks. Some of the basics can be overlooked or taken for granted in training evolutions, but fire departments that ignore them risk using the TI ineffectively during emergency operations.
The fire service considers the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to be the “holy grail” for all firefighting standards. In NFPA 1408, Standard for Training Fire Service Personnel in the Operation, Care, Use, and Maintenance of Thermal Imagers (2020 ed.), Section 4.2.7 states, “Members shall be provided with TI training and education before being permitted to operate TIs per AHJ,” (authority having jurisdiction). But, unfortunately, many fire departments do not abide by this and neglect to properly train their members. This month, I want to cover some of the basics that apply to using a TI.
DEPLOYING THE TI
Deploying the TI from an apparatus and attaching it to personal protective equipment (PPE) sounds like a very simple task, but when adrenaline is flowing and the action is furious, it can be mismanaged, costing precious time. Firefighters should practice removing the TI from their apparatus or directly from their apparatus charger, if they have one, while wearing the gear they would have on when departing the apparatus. Then they can practice attaching the TI to their gear or self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). When attaching the TI to gear, find a place that keeps the TI within easy reach but that does not interfere with performing basic tasks. Because one of the biggest obstacles to effective TI use is actually getting the tool to where it is needed, this deployment and attachment process should be a component of every department’s training.
OPERATING THE TI WITH GLOVED HANDS
Operating a TI with a gloved hand sounds easy but can be challenging during an emergency operation. Firefighters too often do this in nonemergency situations without wearing gloves and fail to realize the increased difficulty of using a TI in emergency operations. All TIs have buttons that need to be manipulated during different stages of emergency operations. Become familiar with the power button’s location and practice finding it with a gloved hand in the dark while wearing an SCBA face piece. This helps you learn to capably do this in a sight-denied situation when the unit has either been inadvertently powered off or a battery needs to be changed. This training should be extended for all buttons on the TI so you are intimately familiar with the buttons, their locations, and their functions.
REPLACING THE TI’S BATTERY
If your TI has a removeable battery, replacing the battery can be a challenging task depending on the TI, the size of the battery, and where you carry the spare battery. This task is often practiced in a boardroom with no gloves or gear, but you should do this task with gloved hands in the dark while wearing a face piece to simulate completing this task in dark and smoky conditions.
LIVE FIRE TRAINING BURNS
Some fire departments have the luxury of having live fire burn facilities while others do not. It is important for firefighters to understand the concept of thermal imaging and image interpretation. In these situations, firefighters usually use a TI to observe fire behavior and bypass the search assistance and other capabilities that a TI can provide. During training burns, firefighters should understand the real benefits of a TI so they are able to capitalize on them when a real event occurs.
If your fire department does not have a burn facility, a training substitute could be a wooden type of doll house or a Max Fire Box to educate personnel on fire dynamics and show fire progression and high heat col- orization, etc.
Below is a sampling of scenarios that firefighters can practice during live fire training burns.
Size-up: Firefighters should conduct a tactical 360 to examine a structure during exterior size-up to locate areas of involvement. If a TI is equipped with special functions and color modes that facilitate a more comprehensive understanding of fire conditions, firefighters should use them at this time.
Fire attack: Crews should use the TI during interior fire operations to find and extinguish the fire, taking note of changes in the TI’s image, such as changing colors that denote high heat and changes in temperature readings. These can help with understanding the level of heat and fire progression.
Search: Search teams can practice with a TI in training burns by placing a “victim” near a heat source to simulate a difficult rescue in fire conditions (with safety considerations in mind). This will force firefighters using the TI to interpret how the image of a victim looks in high heat situations. It’s important for firefighters to learn to look for human form and body parts that may be partially obscured rather than for specific colors or shades of gray. People usually look light gray on a TI in normal conditions but can show up as darker shades when viewed in comparison with high-heat sources. While it may seem excessive, practicing this way is essential to effective searches during real fire events.
Overhaul: Depending on the type of training event, firefighters may have the opportunity to conduct overhaul. If this situation exists, they should examine residual heat sources in the structure to check for extension. With the TI, firefighters can watch how pulling down sections of ceiling or removing portions of walls alters heat signatures. Some TIs have special modes that provide helpful color overlays or other capabilities to assist in isolating hot spots.
TI training can produce an endless number of scenarios. Firefighters can practice many of these without access to a training facility. A little creativity in the firehouse can go a long way toward ensuring a fully prepared fire department.
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.
