In the final episode of the four-part Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC) training video series, “Training To Perform Under Pressure” instructor, Mike McCarthy, instructs firefighters on how to utilize and read a TIC while in a structure fire environment.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION:

  Camera’s on, you’re gonna see that incipient stage quickly transfer to growth, right? Incipient stage. What does that give us? That’s something that might auto extinguish on its own without a lot of intervention, or you know, me putting a boot on it or using a fire extinguisher, right? Really early on.

First phase of that fire growth triangle. Looking straight up, do we have any kind of flow path at all? Do we have any currents? Can we see towards the door? So what do you see moving across the ceiling, sir? Big, big cloud or little slivers of smoke and, uh, heat moving across little slivers.

Everybody see that? How’s the visibility in the back? Better or worse? Worse? Yep. As you move your camera, remember, try to hold you, hold it the normal way if you want, quote unquote, try turning it to the side. That alternate grip, that maximizes what that horizontal field of view you’ll see, you’ll take a little bit more energy in, but you’ll get a a different perspective.

* The training views expressed in this video are those of the training instructors, and not Fire Spotlight. The actions in this video are inherently dangerous and could result in death; should the viewers choose to adopt any views expressed in this video, he/she is doing so at his/her own risk. Fire Spotlight encourages viewers to review his/her department’s Standard Operating Procedures when adopting any new training views.