On July 31, it was announced that the Town of West Springfield would receive $40,909 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program for the purchase of five thermal imaging cameras.
The thermal imaging cameras don’t see light the way traditional cameras do. They “see” heat signatures, West Springfield Fire Lt. CJ Bartone explained to Reminder Publishing.
“It will help us in multiple aspects. The first thing most people think of – it will help us locate victims. It will also help us in dark, smoky situations where we can’t see the source of the fire,” Bartone said. He also said it can be used to detect heat from hazardous materials.
Bartone continued, “When the majority of the fire is out, it helps us locate smoldering hotspots behind a wall that we just can’t see,” such as in the case of a kitchen fire.