Editor's note: Industry Insights are sponsored blogs submitted by manufacturers and suppliers serving the fire service industry.
Rarely does a product come along that transforms the way firefighters do their jobs. That’s what happened in 2016 when Scott Safety introduced Scott Sight, a hands-free thermal intelligence system that enables firefighters to have always-on vision. As soon as firefighters and instructors were able to get the product, they put it to the test. The results in many cases were astounding.
Dax Huba, fire chief in Rocky View, Alberta, discovered the benefits of Scott Sight during a training session in 2016.
The task was simple: Four fires were placed in a burn area on two floors and two separate teams were asked to clean and sweep the building as safe and as fast as they could. One team was equipped with SCBA and flashlights while the other team had SCBA, flashlights and a Scott Sight. Team one cleared three fires before low air alarms sounded and they were forced to exit. Team two with Scott Sight cleared both floors almost eight minutes faster.
“Eight minutes is a lifetime,” Dax said. “It’s the difference between life and death in a fire situation.”
The firefighter who used Scott Sight had never used the product before this exercise. He noted that it was extremely easy to use, and in a split second he could look down and get a thermal image of the room. Perhaps just as important, he was able to do all this while keeping his hands free.
“The advantage was that he was completely hands free to navigate, hold tools or pull hose,” added Dax.
The firefighter gained valuable sight—and insight—while keeping his hands completely free. With the combination of a thermal imaging camera and a small eyepiece located in the facepiece, firefighters can now have always-on thermal vision. No longer does a firefighter have to reach for a handheld TIC to gain vision in a smoky environment. Thermal vision is now always on, when they need it, with their hands free.
Innovative products from innovative teams
Innovation like Scott Sight doesn’t come by accident. In fact, since 1945, when Scott Safety developed the first Air-Pak SCBA for firefighting, a culture of innovation has fueled the company. This culture has been nurtured throughout the years, and as Scott Safety emerged as the recognized leader in the industry, this mindset continued to permeate everything they do.
This spirit is reflected in Scott’s Firefighter of the Future team, a cross-functional group comprised of employees with expertise in diverse disciplines such as engineering, manufacturing, sourcing, marketing and quality. The team is empowered with a “privilege of focus,” allowing them to develop and create new innovative technologies without distraction.
The co-located and cross-functional team is dedicated to connecting with customers to solve the toughest problems facing them—and to do it faster and better than ever before.
The team’s ongoing dialogue with firefighters encourages them to ask, “What if?”
Through this dialogue, a common theme emerged. What if every firefighter could see clearly in every situation? What if she or he could have thermal imaging in their mask, on-demand during fireground operations? What if they could have hands-free thermal vision?
Scott Safety listened to firefighters and in a short time, designed, manufactured and shipped Scott Sight, the industry’s first in-mask hands-free thermal vision system for firefighters.
What firefighters are saying about Scott Sight
Scott Sight has since been tested and utilized by firefighters across North America. From the first showing at FDIC in 2016, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Without a doubt firefighters have been most impressed by the “hands-free” aspect of in-mask thermal vision. Many firefighters noted how they can now use their hands for communications, carrying tools or extractions without losing thermal vision.
“Hands-free thermal imaging technology for us was a true game changer because for the first time since we’ve had thermal imagers, the crews have the ability to use both of their hands at the same time and be able to have visual orientation to what they are doing,” said Matt Mace, Fire Chief of the Raytown Fire Protection District. “It’s instinctive. My crew doesn’t have to pull up a camera to see what’s going on. They can simply look in the direction and it’s reactive.”
In May 2017, Scott Safety will release Scott Sight 1.1, an updated version which includes a new standby mode that provides firefighters the ability to enable and disable live thermal video on the in-mask display without removing the facepiece. Additional enhancements in the software release include streamlined methods for powering the in-mask display and thermal imaging camera on and off.
The continued dialogue with firefighters enables the team at Scott Safety to better understand challenges firefighters face. It encourages “What if” questions to be asked and answered in a never ending quest to provide firefighters the most advanced equipment possible. Scott Sight is the latest example of this quest to build game changing products.
Added Dax Huba: “I really think Scott Sight is going to revolutionize the industry.”
John Graves is the global product manager for thermal imaging solutions at Scott Safety, a global leader in production of firefighter safety products. He brings over 16 years of thermal imaging technical expertise in developing emergency responder products and has been active in advancing the use of thermal imaging products in the fire service.
