Saturday, February 14, 2009

Heat-seeking tool helps save lives of the elderly



Time is of the essence when firefighters respond to a fire and need to ensure they have retrieved everyone from a burning home or building, especially elderly or disabled persons.

Orangeburg, SC firefighters now have a new tool in saving lives.
They have a thermal imaging system based on infrared technology developed for the military. This handheld device can detect heat from any object within a distance of 300 yards.
This kind of range was not possible with older technology.

It can mean a matter of life and death for those elderly trapped by fire.

Yes, the units are expensive, $10,000 each. But,Orangeburg did not pay a cent for the unit. Local insurance broker Keith Hewitt made the donation from a fund aside to "give back to the community".

What a great win-win situation for the community of Orangeburg, SC!

Source: http://thetandd.com/articles/2009/02/10/news/13506731.txt