By Prentiss Findlay
The Post and Courier
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Area fire chiefs said they are relying increasingly on high-tech thermal imaging cameras to see fires in walls, ceilings and floors that are otherwise not visible.
Goose Creek Fire Chief Steve Chapman said that before the advent of thermal imaging cameras, firefighters had to tear into a wall or piece of equipment to determine if a fire was smoldering inside. The town has two cameras and will add a third one, he said.
In July 2005, a Goose Creek resident was having a plumbing problem repaired. A plumber “sweated” a pipe with a propane torch and unknowingly started a fire in the wall. Neither the homeowner nor the plumber was aware of the fire until a neighbor told them that smoke was coming from the attic, Chapman said.
“You could not tell where the fire was, and the conditions on the interior of the bathroom gave no indication that a fire was growing in the wall. One look with a thermal imaging camera revealed a spreading fire in the concealed spaces of the wall and floor,” he said. Pictures from the incident are used in training, he said.
The Mount Pleasant Fire Department plans to double its five thermal imaging cameras through a federal grant and a new, donated camera, officials said. Town Council’s Fire Committee voted Tuesday to recommend that Council apply for a $64,500 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The panel also voted in favor of the town allocating $12,000 in matching funds for the purchase of four new thermal imaging cameras, officials said. Council will consider the request Tuesday. “You can still have a Sofa Super Store fire any day, and you’ve got to be ready for it,” Town Administrator Mac Burdette said.
Nine Charleston firefighters died in the June 18 sofa store fire. The Charleston Fire Department is testing new heat-seeking cameras to add to its current inventory of four thermal cameras, which weren’t used the night of the fire. It is unclear whether the cameras would have helped crews pinpoint the fire that had spread to the ceiling before it spun out of control.
Thermal imaging cameras use infrared technology and a small video screen to help firefighters and rescue workers “see” through smoke, darkness, fog, dense vegetation and walls to find people and fire sources. The cameras weigh about five pounds each.
Mount Pleasant Fire Chief Herb Williams said his department has taken some lessons from the Sofa Super Store fire.
“Sometimes we’ve become complacent. It does make you re-
evaluate what you do,” Williams said. He said there is an emphasis on standard operating guidelines that must be followed at a fire. Thermal imaging cameras are part of that process.
“My goal is to put them on every one of my trucks. I really believe in them. We’ve been using them for years. It is such a valuable tool. It’s one of the best tools that’s come through the fire service in years,” Williams said.
Isle of Palms Fire Chief Ann Graham said her department has one thermal imaging camera that it purchased in 2002 for $17,000. “They are quite expensive,” Graham said. She hopes the department budget will allow her to purchase two cameras this year and two more next year.
“We use them daily. It’s a necessity,” North Charleston Fire Department Battalion Chief Eric Phillips said.
The department’s 11 thermal cameras are useful for search and rescue in wilderness areas, particularly when hypothermia is an issue, Phillips said, as well as when smoke must be evaluated to determine whether it is a sign of a dangerous hidden fire.
Phillips said the challenge for fire departments is to find creative ways to fund the cameras. The department wants to put a thermal imaging camera on every frontline truck, he said.
Summerville Fire Department Battalion Chief Steve Leslie said his department has one thermal imaging camera donated by an anonymous benefactor. “They’re worth every penny that you spend on them. We use them all the time,” Leslie said. He said the department is in the process of getting up to five more of the cameras.
Mount Pleasant received a donated $13,000 thermal imaging camera from 500 For Life and The Shopping Center Group. Fireman’s Fund Heritage and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation evaluated the town’s application, said Jenn Weyand, communications director for the charitable organizations. “The cameras have been one of the most valuable and critical pieces of equipment for firefighters,” she said.
Frank Buonanotte of Atlanta, 500 For Life founder, became committed to providing thermal imaging cameras to fire departments after he saw a History Channel special, “Into The Fire.”
He was struck by the availability of the life-saving technology but the lack of funds for it. Since its inception last year, 500 For Life has raised more than $250,000 and donated 25 thermal imaging cameras throughout the United States.
Charleston-area resident Alan Freeman, a partner in The Shopping Center Group, is part of the charitable effort. “We are proud to not only bring wonderful retail stores to the Charleston area, but now we are able to put this state-of-the-art equipment into the hands of our first responders so lives can be saved,” he said.