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Who Takes the TIC?
In this age of the fire service, most jurisdictions have at least one thermal imaging camera, if not several. Ideally, we would like to have one on every apparatus. But, of course, budgets and priorities will dictate how many each department feels they can afford and need.
What was once a tool advertised mainly to find victims in building fires, we have found many more uses for this piece of equipment. It can be used for hazardous materials responses to identify product that may be producing heat. It can be used to help find a lost person in open space outdoors. We can use it to check for extension after a small stove fire or for chasing down fire in concealed spaces.
For as many uses as we can name, and I by no means named them all, there are multiple ways that they are deployed. My preference is for the officer to come off of the truck or engine with the TIC. Everyone has their own method of operation, but to me the officer makes the most sense.
The officer should be behind the nozzleman and should watching changing conditions at all times. While doing this, it is easy for him to scan the room or area with the TIC to watch for heat currents, changes in temperatures or victims unseen because of smoke. These again are not the only things that the officer needs to be doing.
So, the question that I am posing is “Who takes the TIC and how do you deploy it?” What are your guidelines and how do you operate with it?
In addition, how does it get carried? Do you prefer a strap? Do you carry it in your hand? Give everyone some input and ideas about what does and has worked for you.
What are some other uses not mentioned and offer some training ideas for the folks here? Just remember, this is a tool and should not take the place of masterful search techniques and hard work.
Stay safe and train like you work, hard.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Michael McCarthy on
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Truck Company Officers has the TIC usually since their job is the search for fire and victims. In my volunteer fire department the Officer of the first due engine may take the TIC off the truck company prior to leaving the firehouse if he feels that he may have a difficult time getting the truck company staffed for response. Either way its a absolute must to have at a reported structure fire or anything else that may be warranting its use.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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We carry a TIC on every apparatus, including the battalion chief's rig and reserve rigs.
The officer (or acting officer) carries the TIC. On 3-firefighter engines, the officer can use the TIC to scan for hot spots on the exterior if the fire is concealed as well as doing Z-sweeps of exterior and interior doors prior to entry.
Overhead scans, check.
Temperature scans of stratified heat and smoke, check.
Victim scans, check.
Keeping an eye on the nozzleman in low-viz or zero-viz smoke conditions - check.
Checking on effective cooling of stratified heat layers when the nozzleman is penciling, check.
The truck officer carries the truck TIC and partners with the Irons FF as the primary search team. The TIC is used much the same way as the engine TIC, with the additional duties of checking for life outside of main ingress/egress routes that will be checked by the engine and in scanning for fire extension, especially above the fire.
The battalion chief's TIC is available as a spare or if a second search team is needed. Usually the second truck team (driver and tillerman) carry that TIC.
Having a TIC on every rig ensures that RIC will have a TIC as well.
We use MSA Evolution TICs and carry them on the retractable Gear Keeper lanyard provided by MSA. That allows the officer to use both hands on a line or tools if needed, but keeps the TIC where it can be quickly accessed.
We also just obtained a TIC with a video capture unit so that we can video live burn evolutions and so that the interior safety officer can maintain visual contact with interior crews in smoky conditions. In conjunction with the exterior safety officer who monitors the thermocouple systems, the interior will help us ensure that we don't over-stoke training fires, risk flashover, or damage the thermal panels that line our burn room.
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On 4-firefighter engines, the officer uses the TIC in the same manner, just more frequently since he doesn't have to help with the line nearly as much.
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Permalink Reply by Marty Hrinko on
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We have one on each rig(Engine, Ladder,Rescue). The office takes the TIC on any call, except a wreck. We use the Eagle Imager 320 Thermal Imaging Camera.
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Permalink Reply by Adam Smith on
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For us every station has one. I find myself torn on tbis because the tic is just a tool and I feel that not every one is properly trained on how it works or how to use it. And being in a voluteer department you don't always know that there is goin to be an officer in the officers seat. Wed all like to think there will be but it doesn't always work that way. K
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Permalink Reply by Norm Tindell on
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Directing a crew toward the seat of the fire or looking for a victim is a use we rarely get to employ. We haven't needed it for an outdoor search yet. I've been taking the TIC off the engine lately for alarms. During the 360 we scan the building for an indication of heat coming from the building. It helps us confirm whether or not we have a false alarm. I carry it in my hand and stop 8 or 10 times as we circle the building to look at vents and eaves, etc. Of course we use it during overhaul quite a bit. We've even used it a couple of times mopping up wildfires. It is becoming one of my favorite tools.
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I've used a TIC (at night) to follow a fresh blood trail from a wrecked vehicle to an injured person who wandered off a few times. It's a nice tool, especially if the response time is short and the temperature differential between the blood and the ground is adequate to show up on the TIC.
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Permalink Reply by David Hatherly on
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here every appliance has a tic its part of almost every job for us any structure fire we use it to find victims or hot spots so there is no re ignition after its all done, but they have a multitude of uses.
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Permalink Reply by Captain William Frazer on
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It depends with our department. We have 2 imagers. If going into a structure our staffing unsually makes our entry team supression and SAR, with the imager with the officer or team leader. If SAR is in the works on another floor, they will probably use the first one. The officer will usually work side by side most of the time, not in the rear so that they can all see the images when needed. The nozzle guy has his hands full, and his backup is assiting wrangling hose.
First on scene usually uses the other imager during size up and then moves it to the RIT crew once established and one of them will continuously monitor the stucture with the imager.
Everyone is trained in its use, so the 2nd imager is used in a varity of circumstances as you stated, but we found that outdoors SAR at night for missing persons, we use night vision monocluars instead of the imager.
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Permalink Reply by Shareef Abdu Nur on
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At my House, we carry a TIC on both the Engine and the Truck and it is the Officer/OIC's responsibility to carry it. Being a Truck Officer, my tool assignment for a structure fire consists of a 6 ft hook, a haligan, a box light, and the TIC. I use it to locate victims, heat differences, and windows and doors during a primary search. During overhaul, I use it to help find hidden hot spots. I also use it during MVA's to scan the area for ejections especially at night or in the snow. I carry the TIC on a strap across my shoulder and head and I carry it slightly under and behind my left arm.
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