Fire department requests imaging cameras

Iqaluit’s fire department, seen here at a fire last month, wants to buy cameras which produce images based on detection of heat at different temperatures, allowing firefighters and rescue workers to see hazards in burning buildings and people within them. (PHOTO BY JANE GEORGE)

The Iqaluit fire department has put in a request to the city to buy two thermal imaging cameras to improve their ability to fight fires and save lives.

Fire chief Luc Grandmaison put in the request at city council’s regular meeting April 9, after firefighter Solomon Tagak had taken demonstration models of the equipment through successful test runs.

“He recommends two different types and makes to meet our firefighting and rescue needs,” Grandmaison told council.

Each camera produces images from detection of heat at different temperatures, allowing firefighters and rescue workers to see hazards in burning buildings and people within them.

The first model requested, costing about $8,000, is a lightweight compact model designed for search and rescue, the fire chief said.

The second, at $11,000, serves for structural firefighting. It allows operators to record audio and video of firefighting and rescue operations, useful not only in carrying out rescues and dousing fires, but also to safeguard rescuers’ safety and help investigate mishaps.

“So basically, if something happens to our firefighters if they use it early at the scene, we’ll be able to know what happened,” said Grandmaison. “From a liability point of view, this is a great advantage.”

The camera’s ability to record will also be useful for firefighter and rescue training, he said.

In response to Coun. Terry Dobbin’s questions about rescue capabilities, Grandmaison said the cameras would not only be able to detect people in buildings that are dark or obscured by smoke, but also detect footprints and other signs of presence from moving individuals.

The total cost of the purchases would amount to almost $19,500 by the city, Grandmaison said, which could be paid for through a projected budget fund for the department and about $3,500 from the emergency services equipment reserve fund.

“We’re buying exactly the same models that we had on demo for the last two months,” said the fire chief, so many members of the department are familiar with the equipment.

Even so, full training on its use would be needed for each member of the fire department which would amount to eight hours per employee.