Bullard Save A Life Club

Lieutenant Phil Cappitelli, from the Lake Zurich Fire Rescue Department in Illinois, was on duty when a 61 year old woman was reported missing and last seen walking near a marsh area. Lieutenant Cappitelli and his Engine 2 crew responded to the emergency call with their Bullard T3MAX Thermal Imager in hand.

According to Chief Terry Mastandrea of the Lake Zurich Fire Rescue Department, the woman had been missing for nearly two hours. Once on the scene, Lieutenant Cappitelli began scanning the marsh area with the T3MAX and saw a faint spot on the thermal imager’s screen.

Lieutenant Cappitelli began walking toward the spot indicated on the imager’s screen and found the woman lying face-down in the marsh. The Lieutenant yelled to his fellow firefighters, Scott Nemeth and Greg Brendle that he had found the missing woman.

In less than 15 minutes using a thermal imager, the crew of Engine 2 had rescued the woman and was providing medical attention. The victim was taken to an area hospital with mild hypothermia and has fully recovered. According to Lieutenant Cappitelli, the woman’s location was about 15’ below grade and 200’ away from the area that the thermal imager first received the signal. “Having the right tools and knowing how and when to use them are the keys to a successful rescue,” said Chief Mastandrea.

Lieutenant Phil Cappitelli and Firefighters Scott Nemeth and Greg Brendle were recently inducted into the Bullard Save-A-Life club, which recognizes firefighters who use a Bullard Thermal Imager to save a life. Lake Zurich is the 68th fire department in the Country to be inducted into the Club.