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New imaging cameras could save lives in fires The Medford Fire Department will soon get a heat-sensing camera that will dramatically cut the time it takes for firefighters to search a burning home. The Medford City Council recently approved the purchase of a $21,040 thermal imaging camera, which will allow firefighters to "see" through smoke. In a house fire of any magnitude, firefighters are basically blinded by the smoke, Medford fire Capt. Rick Haines said. "You can't see a flashlight in your face pointing at your eyes," he said. Haines described the slow process of firefighters searching rooms in pairs, the firefighter in back holding onto the front firefighter's foot, each having about a 6-foot swath to feel around the room. The camera will allow firefighters to see black-and-white images of people, furniture and the source of a fire. A person appears on the screen as a brilliant white image. Haines guessed the camera will cut search times at least in half. "It's not going to prevent fire fatalities, but it will improve the chances of finding someone alive," he said. It's also expected to make it safer for firefighters to do their jobs. Haines said the thermal camera can also be used in hazardous materials responses. If there were a tanker truck accident, with a fire threatening the tank, firefighters could use the camera to determine how much fuel was in the tank. If the camera sensed vapor spaces, firefighters would know the tank was especially explosive. Haines guessed there are no more than a dozen such cameras in the state. He said it's hoped that the Medford Fire Department can have one at each of the department's five stations. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA