Thermal Imaging Cameras In The News

Perhaps the best way to show the benefits of a thermal imaging camera is to demonstrate how the tool is used in real situations around the world. If finding the Boston Marathon Bomber wasn’t proof enough, check out these less notorious news stories.

Saving Lives
What happens when you leave something cooking on the stove and then fall asleep? A Bristol resident had to be treated for smoke inhalation after a rescue crew used thermal imaging to discover the location of a fire that triggered the alarm in an apartment building. Both the building and the man were saved because of the alarm and a thermal imaging camera.

Saving Property
After being asked to change a lightbulb for her mother-in-law, Linda Fenner smelled an electrical problem. She called her husband, Fire Chief Cliff, to bring his newly acquired thermal imaging camera to the house. The tool helped them locate an electrical short and prevent a small fire from spreading to the entire house. 

Rescuing Furry Friends
…from Burning Buildings
Thermal imaging is to thank for the discovery and rescue of two family dogs from a house fire in Australia (after the family of four was safely out of the burning building). Boris, the large poodle mix, received oxygen treatment after experiencing a good bit of smoke inhalation before rescue arrived. Despite rumors about a child still being trapped inside, everyone in this story lived happily ever after.

…from Non-burning Buildings
The stereotypical cliche is that firemen rescue cats from trees. Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue were tasked with rescuing a kitten from inside the wall of a home. A thermal imaging camera helped them determine the exact location of the feline before the firefighters put a hole in the sheetrock to pull the kitten to safety.

Thermal Imaging on the Open Sea
Not just helpful in buildings and smoke-filled rooms, thermal imaging cameras function as valuable safety tools for maritime rescue crews looking for signs of life on dark and wavy seas.

Finding People Who Don’t Want To Be Found
…because they’re a threat to themselves
What’s a rescue crew to do when they’re not able to find a suicidal man in a large building? Thermal imaging helps.

…because they got caught on camera
York Region police (Canada) pulled out all the stops to apprehend some candy thieves. Police used the thermal imaging camera on a helicopter in the air and a canine unit on the ground to capture three darkly dressed teenagers hiding in a park.

…because you can’t be a fugitive and go off the grid
After allegedly stealing enough firearms for an arsenal and sending an anti-government manifesto to the President of the United States, Joseph Allen Jakubowski wanted to be off the grid. He set up a makeshift campsite on somebody else’s land. When the landowner became unsettled and called authorities, it ended a manhunt that had lasted more than a week. Officials used a thermal imaging camera to confirm that the fugitive was in the “tent” before surrounding and apprehending him without incident.

To Save the Planet
Towns and communities seeking to conserve energy use volunteers with thermal imaging cameras to help businesses know where they could reduce energy usage costs.