There is little doubt that thermal imagers (TIs) save lives. Lifting the veil of thick smoke and restoring sight dramatically reduces search time, improving the odds of rapidly locating and extricating trapped victims. In fact, a study conducted in early 2000 showed residential search times dropped an average of 75% when conducted with a TI. Although TIs were introduced to the fire service in the mid-1990s, adoption has been swift and widespread.
