Equipped with Thermal Imaging Camera, Taipei City Fire Department has ensured personnel safety and improved rescue efficiency
There are 41 rescue brigades in the Taipei City Fire Department, all of which had been equipped with thermal imaging cameras, currently. These cameras allowed firefighters to discern the location of the fire and rescue the trapped victims in locations with dense smoke and low visibility conditions. While sufficient to be employed, further purchase or replacement would be considered in the near future to ensure firefighters’ safety and improve rescue efficiency.
With resistance of water, dust, collision as well as photography ability and object surface temperature detection, these thermal imaging cameras helped firefighters to discriminate the topography of fire scene and find out the trapped victims. Simultaneously, it could avert the risk of backdraft or flashover in enhancement of firefighter safety protection and rescue efficiency.
The fire department also claimed that according to the current 119 rescue dispatch rule, it would dispatch three brigades at the same time once there were any fire events in Taipei City. More would be dispatched under the situations when more emergency calls were in or higher possibility of frame spread existed. Hence, every brigade would have at least one thermal imaging camera to use on site.
To substitute possibly damaged or malfunction cameras, the Taipei City Fire Department had planned the budget for extra eight thermal imaging cameras. In the near future, more cameras could be bought to meet rescue needs for the sake of fire equipment refinement and personnel safety protection.