By Myrna McMahan
Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tennessee)
Copyright 2006 Chattanooga Publishing Company

TRENTON, Ga. — A thermal imaging camera is proving to be an asset to Trenton firefighters, as well as property owners.

Use of the camera recently saved an industrial building and a private residence from extensive and expensive smoke and water damage, according to Tommy Lawson, fire and utilities commissioner for Trenton.

Mr. Lawson, a former mayor, said the new $10,000 camera was used when fire department units went to blazes at the Tri-State Rental Building in the Dade County Industrial Park and to a residence on Gulch Road in the Piney community.

Mayor Anthony Emanuel praised the City Commission for having the foresight to purchase the camera.

He said that when Fire Chief Jerry Kyzer and Capt. Rick Hurst explained the advantages, commissioners did not hesitate.

"Commissioner Lawson was highly supportive of the purchase," Mr. Emanuel said.

On the two recent fires, Mr. Lawson said, "The new camera allowed firefighters to pinpoint the exact locations of the fires without causing damage throughout the structures."

At Tri-State Rentals, he said, the building was full of smoke when firefighters arrived.

"Without the camera, they would have had to spray water all the way through the building to gain entry and move back the smoke before they could see the fire. That would have caused a lot of water damage," Mr. Lawson said.

In the Gulch Road house fire, the camera detected flames in the attic, according to the official. Firefighters drilled a small hole in the ceiling, inserted a hose and extinguished the fire without doing much damage.

"In the old days," he said, "they would have had to cut a huge hole in the roof to ventilate the fire, causing much structural damage."

More precise knowledge of the fire, which the camera provides, allows firefighters to limit the amount of water sprayed and cuts down on water damage, added Mr. Lawson.

He called the camera's $10,000 price tag "well worth it."