A set of five MSA Connected Firefighter Platform devices at the City of Norwich Fire Department, where firefighters tested out the equipment and its many benefits. The NFD purchased eight units, and volunteers with the NFD and local firefighter companies purchased an additional 16. (Photo by Sarah Genter)

NORWICH — Last month, the City of Norwich Common Council approved the purchase of eight MSA Connected Firefighter Platform thermal imaging cameras (TICs) for the Norwich Fire Department (NFD). Since then, volunteers with the NFD and area firefighter companies have bolstered the department's resources by purchasing an additional 16 units.

Volunteers took advantage of MSA's buy three get one free deal, purchasing 12 units and receiving four free for a total of around $40,000. NFD Chief Jan Papelino said the volunteers used funds received throughout the year from town and city contracts.

The TICs are a game changer for fire departments, with their ability to show temperature variations in a space, highlight doorways and windows, show airpack levels, allow firefighters to alert others if they are in trouble, and assist firefighters in locating individuals in a burning structure.

"Probably one of the biggest benefits to this system is the connected firefighter platform, where if one firefighter gets in trouble they can alert the other ones, and it’ll tell them right on the screen who’s in trouble," said Papelino.

Firefighters who end up pinned, stuck, or otherwise in need of help simply press a button on the TIC for two seconds, which activates a high-pitched alarm from their device, and also alerts every other device that they need help.

"Let’s say a firefighter is in another room, and a ceiling collapses on him and he’s pinned. If he activates his alarm, everybody that’s on that fire scene that’s holding one of those, it comes right up on the screen," Papelino explained. "You can put their name on there, or you can put the riding position that they’re in on the truck, and everybody is going to know that there’s a firefighter down."

The TICs also include a locating sensor with three rings indicating when the downed firefighter is within 30 feet, 30 to 60 feet, and 60 to 90 feet. They also provide a percentage to show how close they are to the firefighter who called for help, with an increasing percentage indicating they are moving closer.

Papelino said the devices are "probably one of the most innovative tools that’s hit the market," and the additional 16 units provided by area volunteers will only add to the department's resources and increase the safety of firefighters.

"It’ll give all the people, the volunteers or off-duty personnel that come in, it’ll just assure that each one of them [are] going to have a thermal imaging camera that they’re going to have access to," said Papelino.

"I hope we never ever have to use them, but if you do, if you have somebody trapped, it’s certainly going to make it easier," he added. "It’s going to give a tool that more of the people that are on scene are going to be able to use to try to help find that person, or rescue one of our own if we have to. But hopefully we never have to use them, it’s just there if we need it."

In the future, Papelino said he hopes to also purchase an iPad that will connect to the TIC hardware, which will show where each firefighter is on the scene of a fire.

The Norwich Fire Department has received their first shipment of eight thermal imaging cameras, and expect the additional 16 units to arrive in the next few weeks.