Volunteer firefighters will be able to detect hot spots and find people who need rescue faster with the thermal imaging camera that the Nutrien chemical facility in Geismar recently donated to the St. Amant and 5th Ward volunteer fire departments. St. Amant/5th Ward Chief James E. LeBlanc said the camera protects both firefighters and homeowners by detecting heat signatures more quickly, thus preventing significant structural damage during a fire. The camera displays different temperatures of heat onto a screen as an image.
"It's also a great tool to have if we're called to an accident at night and we have to locate the victim in an area with no lighting," LeBlanc said. "The thermal imaging camera will assist fire crews to more quickly and efficiently find people in need of help, not only in the event of local structure fires, but also natural disasters."