In the fire service today, we have access to more advanced technology than ever before. Our apparatus, tools, equipment and PPE are all improving each year. These advancements have allowed us to serve our citizens more effectively and save lives.
Thermal imaging is one technology that has enhanced our abilities and decision-making processes. Unfortunately, the thermal imaging camera (TIC) is actually one of the most underused and misunderstood pieces of technology that we have in our cache. It has the potential to dramatically improve firefighters’ success rate on the fireground and in other emergency situations.
Tactical thermal imaging
The phrase “Tactical Thermal Imaging” is not a new concept. It has been written about and discussed by many fire service leaders, and it is mentioned in several NFA research papers. So what exactly is it? Tactical Thermal Imaging is an enhanced understanding and application of thermal imaging science that maximizes our strategic and tactical effectiveness in an emergency situation.
Why is Tactical Thermal Imaging necessary? In recent studies, UL conducted a side-by-side comparison of legacy versus modern furnishings. In this test, the room consisting of modern furnishings reached flashover in approximately 3 minutes and 40 seconds, whereas the legacy furnishings room took nearly 30 minutes to reach flashover. Project Kill the Flashover demonstrated a similar test at the South Carolina Fire Academy, whereas the fire room and the adjacent room were filmed through the eyes of a TIC.
Both tests are informative and provide a wealth of information. However, it is only when we combine what our eyes are seeing with the value of thermal data do we realize the importance of Tactical Thermal Imaging.
The importance of Tactical Thermal Imaging is further brought to our attention when we realize that we have never before been able to diagnose the thermal severity of the environment with such accuracy in relation to the location and severity of the fire and our PPE’s capabilities that we can actually predict the fire’s behavior (flashover, backdraft, direction of fire spread).
Getting back to the UL studies: “The overall finding of UL’s fire testing is that the changes in the modern home create fires that reach flashover more than eight times faster than homes built 50 years ago. This much more rapid progression to flashover gives residents, firefighters and other first responders much less time to react, creating significant hazards to health and property.” Thus, the more rapid progression of fire development supports a need for a Tactical Thermal Imaging approach so that we can more effectively identify, defend and mitigate the problem.
This requires what I call a “thermal paradigm shift” in our thinking. The way we view a fire has to now include the concept of thermal severity. We must remember that the rapid-fire progression we are seeing today is dependent upon thermal influences, ventilation conditions, compartment size and layout, and fire location. TICs provide critical information that would otherwise be unavailable to the naked eye. The critical temperatures listed in the infographic above cannot be diagnosed with the naked eye; they must be identified by a firefighter trained in Tactical Thermal Imaging.
Unfortunately, not many firefighters have this level of training. TICs have been predominantly used by the fire service for search and rescue and overhaul operations. Traditionally, the amount of education received on these devices has been minimal unless a department has sought out higher levels of training. Firefighters already receive a wealth of training related to topics such as incident command, building construction, size-up and reading smoke, yet the training and education for understanding thermal severity has often been neglected.
A TIC can also provide valuable data on fire behavior, such as severity of the fire, flow path, location of cold spots (where the fire may be heading) and heat signatures of hidden fires. A TIC can show information related to a trapped occupant’s location, their movement (which can be seen by their thermal signature or “thermal footprint”), possible signs of structural compromise and also enable firefighters to search or find their own way out more efficiently than with standard search techniques.
In Figures 2 and 3, we can see how the crew leader could identify the critical fireground factors of flow path, fire location and severity, fire direction, structural compromise and more.
Search and rescue
In regards to enhancing our search methodology, I have read many articles about thermal imagers, and one nationwide study that repeatedly appears in the literature looks at the effectiveness of TICs in search and rescue. In this study, firefighters from numerous departments—including Seattle, Chicago and Boston—were given 20 minutes to locate a victim in a test burn. Without the use of a TIC, the firefighters missed the victim 60 percent of the time, but with the use of a TIC, the firefighters located the victims 99 percent of the time.
Tactical Thermal Imaging takes the end-users’ understanding of thermal imaging to the next level, going beyond merely scanning an area to look for a victim or a downed firefighter. A trained end-user understands that the temperature of the environment, the mode of the TIC and its resolution will determine how the image appears. Many firefighters were taught to simply look for a white/glowing body, but this may not be the case as depicted in Figure 4. Notice the firefighters appear dark—not white hot as many of us have been trained to see them.
Consider the overall palate or big picture when viewing the environment. Our bodies will be 98.6 degrees F where the room in this photo is over 500 degrees F. Thus, the TIC adjusts its clarity and image based upon the temperature of the environment. Firefighters must be aware of this and practice enhanced search methods (using a TIC) in superheated environments, not cold smoke.
In sum
There is clearly a need for a greater understanding of thermal imaging science in our trade. Many other professional trades require that the individual giving a report based on their thermogram (thermal imaging photo) be certified, whereas the fire service currently does not. Please take the time to read and understand your TIC’s specifications, limitations and options. Then seek out end-user-specific training for firefighters so you can apply this technology and enhance your decision-making abilities in emergency situations.
References
Wholey, Mark P. Expanding the tactical use of thermal imaging cameras within the Nashua Fire Rescue. Retrieved from: http://usfa.kohalibrary.com/app/work/211638
UL. Modern Residential Fires. Retrieved from http://newscience.ul.com/articles/modern-residential-fires
