Thermal Imager on Ladder Tower

[SBLGFD]

We are considering adding a permanent mount Thermal Imager to the top of our ladder tower. Looking for Departments that have it or have added it , wondering how it has performed and what the costs were?
Thanks
SBLGFD

[bigjim54]

You may want to post this on the ARFF forum. They use permanent mount TIC's on lots of trucks. Same application, different style truck.

[MemphisE34a]

We are considering adding a permanent mount Thermal Imager to the top of our ladder tower.

Why......?

[RFDACM02]

IIRC Tarrytown NY did this on their (2005/6) ALF/LTI midmount. I'm not sure I see the true benefit, given the money I'd think another mobile TIC would serve more uses, you could assign it to the bucket if you thought there was a need. I'm thinking you could buy 3 "personal" TIC's for the price of a fixed unit. But, in the end if you got it, spend it we need more currency in circulation!

[IronsMan53]

Get a portable thermal imager that can be used on every fire.

For that one in a hundred (or thousand) fire that you may even see a need for one in the bucket then have someone take the portable unit up there.

Otherwise, I feel you are wasting a massive amount of money.

[jfTL41]

Even if it was free (and I'm sure its not) I cannot see any reason to have a TIC on a tower ladder bucket.

[SBLGFD]

We can think of plenty of reasons why not to do it, we are trying to find some who have done it that can help with the how and why to do it and the cost.

[IronsMan53]

We can think of plenty of reasons why not to do it.

Have you come up with any reasons TO DO it? You may be seeking an answer without a problem.

[SBLGFD]

Other then the remote possibility of needing a remote control of an elevated thermal transmitting to a wire less screen, no other reasons. We know its been put on multiple units in the past and would like to make sure we are not missing something for or against.

[XCAPT1]

My Department refurbished our tower ladder last year. During the process a TIC was written in for the bucket, but upon further discussion it was removed and two hand held TIC's were added in it's place. This brought the number TIC's on the truck to three (Boss, OV, and Roof position have TIC's).

Stay Safe

[blueflame]

Spartan ERV has a very nice one on the Telstar. http://spartanerv.com/telstar/

[Picc.93Truck]

We don't have a bucket, but I can tell you every member of my Ladder Co. Comes off the truck with a TIC on their chest. We use Bullard Eclipse TIC's, and their great. I've never used one on the roof, but with the Thermal Throttle feature, hotspots and more are visible through the roof with one.

[FWDbuff]

I can think of a hell of a lot better things to do with a few thousand bucks than put a TI camera in the bucket of a ladder. No offense but the idea screams of "volunteer overspending."

[mcwops]

Sounds like a salesman trying to up the price of the unit for his commission.

[Catch22]

If you do so, be careful where you mount it. I know of a department that put a TIC on a Snozzle. The problem they ran into was the TIC was the highest thing on the truck and kept getting damaged by tree limbs.

[nameless]

Seriously, whats the point?

[ATFDFF]

Seriously, whats the point?

I could see it being useful in an industrial (oil refinery fire, etc) setting. There are a lot of factories that if on fire, I would NOT want to put my firefighters over top of. Having the TIC would at least give you a bit of an idea of the positioning of your stream and the fire.

That being said, it's certainly not a necessity, and there are plenty of other things I think the money would be better spent on.

[IronsMan53]

I could see it being useful in an industrial (oil refinery fire, etc) setting. There are a lot of factories that if on fire, I would NOT want to put my firefighters over top of. Having the TIC would at least give you a bit of an idea of the positioning of your stream and the fire.

That being said, it's certainly not a necessity, and there are plenty of other things I think the money would be better spent on.

If they have special circumstances that would make one absolutely necessary, then I could see placing a mount on the platform so that a portable thermal imager with transmit capabilities can be placed there only when needed. That would be way cheaper and more practical than permanently mounting a unit.

[nameless]

I could see it being useful in an industrial (oil refinery fire, etc) setting. There are a lot of factories that if on fire, I would NOT want to put my firefighters over top of. Having the TIC would at least give you a bit of an idea of the positioning of your stream and the fire.

That being said, it's certainly not a necessity, and there are plenty of other things I think the money would be better spent on.

I can see that, in a very particular industrial setting. I just don't see it for municipal structural firefighting. It seems like we build our apparatus more for surround and drown than for going in and putting the darn thing out.