In Kirkwood, MI, on February 18, firefighters from the Rock Hill Fire Department responded to a report of a basement fire at 589 Brookhaven Court. Rock Hill Fire Department responded on an automatic mutual aid alarm and was the first to arrive on scene with Firefighter Steve Moore as the driver. When firefighters arrived, they saw no signs of smoke. However, when the homeowner opened the door, smoke came bellowing out and the man alerted firefighters that his elderly wife was trapped in the back bedroom. Firefighter Paul Kordik grabbed the Bullard thermal imager off the truck and handed it to Captain Halloran who made entry and proceeded down the hall to the bedroom. Firefighters Paul Kordik and Greg Kuester immediately deployed a hoseline and initiated a fire attack. By this time, smoke had heavily filled the house. Captain Halloran entered the bedroom and scanned the room with the thermal imager.

From left to right, Firefighter Greg Kuester, Firefighter Steve Moore, Captain Kevin Halloran, Firefighter Paul Kordik

“Smoke was all the way from top to bottom. I scanned the room and found the woman in the bed right away.” Captain Halloran helped pull the woman out of the bedroom and doubled back out the door where Matt Hawkins from Glendale Fire Department helped Captain Halloran pull the woman the rest of the way out.

The woman was taken to St. Joseph Kirkwood Medical Center for smoke inhalation and was treated and released. “It all worked out really well. No doubt it would have taken much longer to locate the woman if we had not of pulled out the camera.” The Rock Hill Fire Department own a Bullard TIX and keeps the camera on the truck at all times. “We’re always pulling out the camera to use it,” adds Captain Halloran.

Lessons Learned
Having a thermal imager on the first arriving company made a huge difference. As soon as firefighters knew they had a fire and a victim trapped inside, they could immediately send the TI in to search while deploying a hose line at the same time. Latent heat, blankets, comforters and the like can all create odd images. Remember to always search on and around a bed by hand, just to confirm nothing is missed. Great job RHFD!

If you would like to tell us about an incident in which a Bullard Thermal Imager has made a difference in your work, send an e-mail to ashley_smith@bullard.com or visit www.bullard.com/thermalimager/Save_A_Life_Club/salc_application.shtml to submit your story online. Selected stories will be featured in an upcoming issue of this newsletter.