A pair of new cameras purchased by Ladysmith Fire Rescue with the help of the Ladysmith Healthcare Auxiliary will assist firefighters to better assess a blaze at a home or find a person ejected from their vehicle late at night.
The two new Bullard TX4 thermal imaging cameras cost roughly $22,000 and are among the best of what’s on the market today.
“A lot of it is for firefighter safety - to find out where the fire is before we go in and attack it,” said fire chief Ray Delcourt.
“We can judge the heat inside of a building so we know it’s not safe to be in there, see where the fire is at, stage quicker, if someone is in the building we can find them quicker especially if it’s black.”
Last year, The Ladysmith Healthcare Auxiliary donated over $266,000 to the community through the sale of items donated and then sold through the non-profit’s thriving thrift store on First Avenue.
President Pam Fraser said the auxiliary’s constitution allows them to support a range of initiatives outside of what is mandated by other hospital-focused organizations.
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We like to keep it community-based,” said Fraser. “Our mandate as an Auxiliary is to support the health and well being of the community, as well as purchasing equipment for health care facilities.
In addition to buying the imaging cameras, last year the Auxiliary paid for education materials so that Ladysmith Fire and Rescue could conduct a fire education program in our local schools.
“Having worn the fire jacket and helmet for our recent ‘photo op’ I have increased respect for our firefighters, those things weigh a ton,” added Fraser.
Because Ladysmith Fire Rescue now has two cameras it will help them in the event that one truck is ever pulled away on a mutual aid request.
The devices also record while in sue which will be valuable for reviewing footage afterwards and incorporating it into training. The T4X screens are also the industry’s largest and show temperature measurement in numeric and relative head indicator formats.
“The existing cameras that we do have were purchased probably 15 years ago. Technology, just like everything else, has got better,” Delcourt said.
In the past the LHA has also helped in the purchasing of two AED machines for Ladysmith Fire Rescue.
“The Healthcare Auxiliary, they’ve never turned us down for anything we’ve asked for,” Delcourt said. “That’s valuable equipment that we’re still using right now and has saved lives and these new thermal cameras will saves lives too.”