October 1, 2003

Due to the hard work of the members of the Big Tree Volunteer Fire Company, and generous donation from the community, the Big Tree Fire Company recently purchased a state-of-the-art thermal imaging camera. This camera was needed to replace an older broken camera that was recently taken out of service.

Thermal imaging cameras allow firefighters to see through smoke-filled environments in order to rescue trapped victims and locate the source of a fire. With the purchase of the MSA Evolution 4000 thermal imaging camera, Big Tree firefighters will be better suited to aid the citizens of the Town of Hamburg.

After a year of investigative research, including many side-by-side comparisons of various cameras, it was determined that the Evolution 4000 was the best suited camera for Big Tree. Some of the features of the new thermal imaging camera include:

• Lightweight rugged design
• Vanadium Oxide Microbolometer that provides a sharp picture
• Large screen display to allow the entire firefighting team to get a view of the area being searched
• Heat seeker indicator to identify the heat source
• Quick temp indicator to identify the surface temperature of surrounding areas and objects
• Vehicle mounted charging system
• Built-in wireless video transmitter for transmitting images to a receiver outside the structure

Since the purchase of the thermal imaging camera, it has been used at numerous fires and training events. To view thermal imaging video from our recent live burn training, click here.