Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout306.004 - Thermal Imaging CamerasEffective Date: August 2024 Dominick Foster, Captain Current Revision Date: 05/07/2025 Section 306.004 Next Revision (2) Date: 05/07/2027 Page 1 of 7 300 Training and Equipment SECTION 306.004 THERMAL IMAGING CAMERA (TIC) USAGE AND CARE PURPOSE To provide instructions to Fresno Fire Department (FFD or Department) members on the proper use and maintenance of the Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC). APPLICATION This policy applies to all fire suppression personnel when utilizing TICs to facilitate safe and effective fire and other incident operations. Note: Not all situations can be addressed in this procedure, Company Officers may find it necessary to modify a procedure under unusual circumstances. OPERATIONAL POLICY This section intentionally left blank. OPERATIONAL GUIDELINE The TICs may be used for a variety of fire ground operations including size-up, performing a 360, fire attack, search and rescue, rapid intervention, overhaul, and other applications. The officer on every apparatus equipped with a TIC should carry the TIC at every reported structure fire unless directed otherwise by the Incident Commander (IC). Note: Nationwide studies of recent firefighter fatalities have revealed TICs were frequently available but could not be utilized quickly because personnel did not routinely carry them during incident operations. Fresno City Fire Department Effective Date: August 2024 Dominick Foster, Captain Current Revision Date: 05/07/2025 Section 306.004 Next Revision (2) Date: 05/07/2027 Page 2 of 7 PROCESS 1. Fire Attack The officer of the first arriving unit should carry the TIC at every structure fire response regardless of the initial condition report (i.e., nothing showing). The first arriving apparatus’s officer or acting officer should provide a size-up using the TIC and if possible, conduct a 360. This report should include any unusual or significant heat signatures, location/severity of the fire, location of potential victims, and any critical fire ground factors such as high heat signatures discovered in the attic, void spaces, or basement. The officer can utilize the TIC to view the structure from the outside to determine the general location of the fire. The TIC operator (officer) should be positioned behind the nozzle or back-up firefighter to facilitate the following: a. Hazard Recognition The officer can use the TIC to detect high-rack storage, vertical openings (holes in the floor, shafts, stairways, etc.), heat conditions (build-up, movement, rollover), collapse potential (exposed trusses, burning columns, beams, and supports), and concealed fires (ceilings, walls, etc.) b. Hose Line Advancement The most advantageous placement of the officer is in the back- up position to the nozzle firefighter. From this point, the officer can use the TIC to direct the nozzle firefighter toward the safest and quickest route to the fire. This is known as enhanced stream placement by allowing the officer to view the area before the firefighters advance into an area; the officer can better direct their streams and advancement and provide valuable information such as fire location and room configuration. This can be done by periodically scanning the floor layout with the TIC, verbally directing the nozzle firefighter, and manually assisting with the movement of the hose line. By using a hands-free attachment lanyard, the officer can assist the nozzle firefighter with hose line placement. This technique is in keeping with the "nozzle team" concept and allows the nozzle Effective Date: August 2024 Dominick Foster, Captain Current Revision Date: 05/07/2025 Section 306.004 Next Revision (2) Date: 05/07/2027 Page 3 of 7 firefighter to advance toward the fire with minimal effort while placing the officer in the best position to direct the fire attack. c. Search While advancing a hose line, searching should be limited to the path the nozzle team is following toward the fire. The TIC can be used to quickly search the fire floor for victims as well as the fire location. The officer can scan areas of high victim probability including in and around doorways, windows, hallways, and rooms adjacent to the path of those lines if it does not delay advancing the nozzle to the fire. d. Ventilation During roof operations, the officer can utilize the TIC to help establish a safe working area. The officer should not rely solely on the TIC to determine a safe area. Conditions and experience will vary; therefore, all size-up factors should be considered. On standard shingle roofs, heat signatures may be readily apparent but on built-up roofs, terracotta tile, or roofs with multiple layers of shingles, these heat signatures may be hidden. It is critical that the officer look & scan the area before stepping onto the roof looking for small thermal cues due to conduction that could indicate fire beneath them and a loss of structural integrity. The TIC can be used to determine the hottest area and aid in deciding where to make the opening for vertical ventilation. During horizontal ventilation performed from the exterior of the structure, the TIC can help the officer determine which windows are hottest and should be vented first. These actions should be coordinated with the inside hose team and through the IC. Unless the windows are single pane, you will not “see through” the windows. The officer must look for heat signatures around the window, the top, or the frame. 2. Search and Rescue The officer in charge of the search operation should control and operate the TIC. Effective Date: August 2024 Dominick Foster, Captain Current Revision Date: 05/07/2025 Section 306.004 Next Revision (2) Date: 05/07/2027 Page 4 of 7 During the search operation the officer should utilize the TIC to facilitate the following: a. Hazard Recognition The officer can use the TIC to detect high-rack storage, vertical openings (holes in the floor, shafts, stairways, etc.); heat conditions (build-up, movement, rollover); collapse potential (exposed trusses, burning columns, beams, supports); and concealed fires (ceilings, walls, etc.). The officer must continually monitor conditions utilizing both the TIC and conventional monitoring techniques. If hazards present unreasonable risks, the officer must initiate the withdrawal of the search team. b. Primary Search The officer should direct the path and movement of the crew during search operations by following a predetermined search plan. The TIC does not see through solid objects (walls, furniture, curtains, etc.). The best method for scanning a room is Life, Layout, Fire or low to high. A human being will not provide sufficient thermal energy to become visible behind and under many standard construction materials. Therefore, it is essential that crews look behind and under all objects when conducting searches. A scan with a TIC should not take the place of a hands-on search of a room except in the case of extreme circumstances. Personnel must remember the TIC is a tool to be used in combination with physical area search. The TIC should be used to scan open areas for victims and should be used to direct crewmembers into areas where obstructions (furniture, walls, closets, debris, etc.) require physical search techniques. Areas of high victim probability, normal egress such as behind doors, under windows, and along travel paths to the outside, can be searched thoroughly and quickly with the TIC. The officer leading the search must maintain spatial orientation by utilizing wall contact, search rope, etc. and have an escape route throughout the entire operation. c. Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) The RIC should utilize the TIC to locate the lost or trapped firefighters. Effective Date: August 2024 Dominick Foster, Captain Current Revision Date: 05/07/2025 Section 306.004 Next Revision (2) Date: 05/07/2027 Page 5 of 7 In many cases, the RIC officer will be able to gather valuable size-up information by utilizing the TIC to evaluate the fire structure and exposures. This will assist in developing an operating plan in the event RIC is deployed. d. Overhaul The TIC can be utilized to detect hot spots during the overhaul phase. While the TIC does not allow the operator to see through construction materials (concrete, plaster, drywall, glass, brick, etc.), it can be helpful in identifying different levels of heat associated with hidden and smoldering fires. Do not rely on the spot temperature. The TIC is not intended to replace experience in conducting overhaul. It must be used in conjunction with the experience and judgment of the operator. e. Hazardous Material Operations • The relative temperature of a container can be visualized. • The level of fluid in a container may be determined. • Vapor/gas clouds and releases may be visible. f. Other TIC Uses The TIC may be useful in locating the source at routine “odor of smoke” calls as well as overheated fluorescent light ballasts, malfunctioning appliance motors, etc. At incidents where victims may be unaccounted for (possible ejection along a major roadway), the TIC can aid in searching a large area quickly, especially during night operations or in overgrown areas. At water rescue calls, the TIC can be used to scan the water surface and view changes in temperature (hot oil or water from a submerged vehicle, surface victims). g. Precautions The visibility provided by the TIC can suddenly end with camera failure, low battery, or physical damage to the instrument. If Effective Date: August 2024 Dominick Foster, Captain Current Revision Date: 05/07/2025 Section 306.004 Next Revision (2) Date: 05/07/2027 Page 6 of 7 conventional orientation methods such as contact with a rope, hose line, or wall are also not maintained, crews using thermal imaging cameras may become lost and unable to escape. The TIC operator must avoid tunnel vision. Inexperienced operators who constantly stare into the TIC risk becoming disoriented and may miss signs of deteriorating fire conditions. We want to Scan-Communicate-Down when using the TIC. With the ability to see in zero visibility conditions, the TIC operator can move through a building much faster than fellow crewmembers. This can result in the separation of crews and loss of accountability. The TIC is not rated as intrinsically safe. Do not use thermal imaging cameras in explosive atmospheres. h. Limitations The TIC does not provide underwater thermal images. Do not use the TIC underwater. The TIC does not provide images through glass, water, or shiny objects. These surfaces act as mirrors to the system. The TIC will not measure the temperatures or relative heat accurately of any shiny surface. Exposing the TIC to high-temperature environments for an extended period may cause degradation of the on-screen image. This is a condition called heat saturation; this can be avoided by staying low and cooling the environment; if this occurs, move the TIC to a cooler area until the image on the TIC screen returns to normal. 3. Daily Inspections, Care and Maintenance Be aware of where the lens of the TIC is pointed. Never point or lay down the TIC in an orientation that has the lens pointed at the sun. Just like our eyes, the detector of the TIC will be damaged if it is pointed at the sun. Caution should be taken when setting down the TIC as to not have the lens pointed up. The TIC is to be checked as part of the FD-3 (Daily Equipment Check) of the apparatus to which it is assigned. TIC batteries should be changed Effective Date: August 2024 Dominick Foster, Captain Current Revision Date: 05/07/2025 Section 306.004 Next Revision (2) Date: 05/07/2027 Page 7 of 7 out from the truck charger monthly, fully depleted, and re-charged on a base unit to extend battery life. The TIC should be inspected for operating condition, cleanliness, carrying strap/lanyard, and fully charged batteries. During the Daily Equipment Check and post-incident, the TIC is to be cleaned and wiped down. The lens and screen of the TIC is to be wiped with a lens wipe or alcohol wipe. Cleaning the TIC should be done ONLY with soap & water (no solvents) and lens wipes or alcohol wipes on the lens and charging contacts. INFORMATION This section intentionally left blank. DEFINITIONS This section intentionally left blank. CROSS-REFERENCES No cross-references recognized.