Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

Thermal imaging cameras translate infrared radiation into a viewable image, which shows differences in the temperature in the scene. Thermal imaging cameras have the ability to see in smoke and mist when properly used. Thermal imaging cameras have potential to become a tool in the fire service to increase effectiveness of the present operational methods. A prototype of a wearable thermal imaging camera system was developed and tested. It consists of a helmet-mounted thermal imaging camera, a head-mounted display, batteries, a wireless LAN unit for transferring data to a personal computer, and a video cable for sending thermal images to a videocassette recorder. Two series of tests were done. In test 1 a compartment (6 m x 6 m x 2.3 m) was filled with smoke generated by smoke candles. A firefighter equipped with a wearable thermal imaging camera system entered the compartment with a lack of visibility caused by smoke. Heat sources were searched. In test 2 wood cribs were burned in a compartment. Water mist was applied from the outside of the compartment so that the crib fire was almost extinguished. A firefighter equipped with a wearable thermal imaging camera system entered the compartment with a lack of visibility caused by smoke, mist, and vapor. Heat sources remaining on the cribs were searched.