Every second counts when you’re surrounded by darkness and searching for a life in a raging inferno. Watch as we take you inside the world of firefighting as our Los Angeles City Firefighters train with new tech that helps them see through the fire.
LAFD Foundation Donates Brand New Thermal Imaging Cameras
After twenty years, the LAFD is getting a major tech upgrade to vital equipment. Thanks to a generous donation by the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, the department has received a supply of new Teledyne FLIR (forward-looking infrared) K65 cameras. The foundation is the non-profit that raises money for training and equipment for the LAFD, while our Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter’s Fund is devoted to assisting LAFD families in need.
The cameras utilize thermal imaging to detect heat sources, making them crucial tools for locating victims and fire sources and allowing firefighters to “see through the smoke.”
“[This] makes us more efficient during our operations,” said Robby Jackson, LAFD Apparatus Operator.
The new cameras are a much-needed update: it has been two decades since the LAFD last purchased thermal imaging cameras (TICs), and the majority of cameras the department had in its possession were inoperational and too old to fix.
Firefighter 360 Size-Up and Live Fire Training with TICs
To train company commanders on the new equipment, the department staged several rigorous training scenarios at the Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center.
First, fire captains conducted a 360 “size-up” where they used cameras to locate and assess the extent of the fire from the structure’s exterior. Next came live fire training in a simulated fire room.
Through plumes of smoke billowing from a blaze, they toggled through the cameras’ various modes, including “search-and-rescue.” Designed for locating potential victims, that particular mode also allows firefighters to preview the temperature and orientation of a room before they enter, in order to determine its safety.
“As we go into a structure, we’ve had scenarios in the city where we see smoke down to the floor. And you can’t see five-feet inside that building,” said Robby.
But with the help of TICs, firefighters are able to readily identify victims through their heat signatures, without having to, say, fumble around furniture in a smoke-filled room.
“They’re able to go straight to that location of the victim and pull them out immediately and get them to an ambulance,” added Robby.
Hands-on training is critical for operational effectiveness, said Paul Kline, LAFD Fire Captain I. “We are really hands on, I think, as a culture,” he explained. “[With these cameras,] you see things that you otherwise could never see with the human eye.”
A Request Fulfilled
The Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation has played an integral role in securing much-needed equipment for the LAFD. The new stash of TICs would not be possible without the generous donation from the organization.
Now, every LAFD truck, engine and 200-series engine will be outfitted with a new camera.
“So all the big hook-and-ladder trucks, and all the fire engines, the ones you see driving around with hose on the back. Every single one of those now carries at least one of the TICs so that they’re on scene of every single fire, right away,” said Robby.
And at a cost of $5,000 to $6,000 each, they are worth every penny.
“These are game changers,” said Paul. “They are really force multipliers. They give us superhuman vision. And it will improve our operational safety, our effectiveness, our ability to save lives. Immeasurable.”
Learn more about the firefighting equipment used by LAFD.
By Audrey Yap