Local Bankers Support TI Purchases
Lake Zurich Service Area, Illinois (pop. 35,000)
The Rotary Club of Lake Zurich, Illinois, brought together the efforts of two local bankers to fund the purchase of two Bullard T3MAX thermal imagers within the past year. Lake Zurich Fire Chief Terry Mastandrea first approached the Rotary Club with a brief presentation at a Rotary meeting, sharing copies of Get The Picture to introduce Rotarians to thermal imaging and its many benefits in firefighting.
It was a demonstration, however, that convinced Mike Carlino, President and CEO of Cambridge Bank, to donate $11,000 to purchase a thermal imager, and Jack Reck, President of State Bank & Trust, to donate $7,000 toward the purchase of another unit. Fire officials arranged for the bankers to be involved in a hands-on live fire demonstration. During the demo, the two men suited up in full turnout gear to watch firefighters demonstrate thermal imaging applications such as identifying fire origins, identifying fire gases and interpreting human forms.
Mike Carlino: “It blew me away. The difference it made in firefighting was unbelievable. Working and living in this community, I felt strongly that this was one piece of equipment each engine should have. I had made the decision last year that the bank would support this purchase -- the demo reinforced that decision.”
Jack Reck: “I’ve been the police and fire commissioner in Lake Zurich for 12 years, so I feel pretty close to the fire department. I want to make sure they have the tools they need to do their jobs safely. I had seen a thermal imager before, when the department purchased one three years ago, but when we were suited up and in a smoky environment, the impact was much more dramatic.”
Funding Advice: While a simulated smoke demonstration can effectively showcase the capabilities of the technology for search and rescue, a live fire demonstration enables participants to see how thermal imagers can be used to monitor fire spread. This drives home the point that the technology can save significant property, which is a very meaningful point to make, especially with local business and government leaders.
