![]() ![]() The yearly operating budget for the fire department is $16,800. "This type of camera would have been $15,000 to $18,000 if we had to buy it new, and that is over our whole budget." ![]() "I've heard about them for several years, but the cost was so outrageous and a small department like us couldn't afford one," he said. Once the foundation went bankrupt, the bank sold the cameras at a discounted price. Hurley said a Kansas bank had financed a foundation that bought 94 cameras. However, Minco officials were able to buy a used camera for $5,000. The camera can pinpoint people inside a structure even if they are located next to the fire.įor many fire departments, the thermal-imaging equipment is a costly expenditure - as much as $25,000 for one unit. "It also saves the homeowners the possibility of some damage of us climbing around in attics and having to bust out walls to make sure a fire hasn't gone into the attic."Īlthough Hurley and his 20-person crew haven't used the camera for a rescue, it can serve as a life-saving device. "It's been really beneficial because it saves us some time," he said. A heat-sensing tool mounted on a hard hat can show firefighters where a fire is inside a structure and can tell the temperature of the blaze.įire Chief Clay Hurley said his crew has used the equipment on several electrical fires by checking the attics for spreading fires. The camera can help firefighters with battling blazes and rescuing victims. ![]() The department bought a thermal-imaging camera in April, and since its purchase, it has been used on three occasions. MINCO - With help from the city and members of the community, the Minco Fire Department has joined a growing trend of rescue crews across the metro area with thermal-imaging equipment. ![]()
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