This rescue training video from Colorado State Fire Fighters Association Fire College in Brush Colo., shows how a thermal imager is used to help find victims in an active fire scenario.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION:

 So, if, so, if you have a thermal imager on your air pack, do you guys use it? Do you guys train with it?  Definitely take it with you when you do search and rescue. We can talk about field of view, which is just how wide you’re actually looking.  All the cameras have different things. I turn it to the side because someone was asking, hey man, who’s the new guy who’s like, ‘well don’t we always want to look up?’ 

Well, I want to look for people. Right, yes, up is important, but I want to look for people too okay. If there’s a fire, and it’s chugging smoke everywhere, I know it’s gonna be hot, the colors will tell me. You have to look at your individual camera for specifics.

I’ll, I’ll kind of look down, but if you kind of go a sideways view, you’re going to get that big wide area – you might be able to catch both.  So just take that quick view. Orient yourself, if I have to come back. Sometimes it’s so black out you have to look closer, but you don’t want to be here.  You don’t want to just sit there.