CAL FIRE San Diego Fire Authority: Pelican Flashlight & FLIR Unit Demonstration

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CAL FIRE is a forward thinking fire department and has been testing new technology to help victims of emergency situations. Some of this new equipment is currently in service while others are still undergoing the test phase.

One new piece of equipment CAL FIRE is using is a new water resistant Pelican 9430 Remote Area Lighting System. This area scene light has two phases of light, a high setting and a low setting. The high setting will illuminate light for up to 8 hours and the low setting for up to 15 hours. The lighting system's total life expectancy is around 50,000 hours.

According to Adam Reeves, Driver Operator with the San Diego County Fire Authority, CAL FIRE's older lighting system technology ran off of gasoline and reportedly took up a lot of room in a compartment. The newer Pelican 9430 lighting system technology runs off of twenty-four LED, Light-Emitting Diode, lights and battery power.

This system is incredibly easy to assemble and will brighten an entire room. The light extends to a height of 32 inches and the head of the light can be rotated 360 degrees. Reeves states, "It's actually a very useful tool. Especially because of the size and the fact that you can use it inside of a safe environment where you would be worried about igniting." There is no exhaust, therefore users do not have to worry about exhaust fumes inside of the building where it is being used. The average cost of this tool is around $600.

Another new piece of technology that CAL FIRE is currently testing is a FLIR, Forward Looking Infrared, heat camera that senses infrared radiation. CAL FIRE has been experimenting with this tool to possibly prevent future accidents.

Unfortunately, low visibility creates an issue with first responders when looking for a victim who has been hurt. The FLIR unit can detect a person's body heat and project it through a monitor. Therefore, firefighters will be able to find the injured persons and administer emergency medical services much faster. 

Driver Operator Reeves said that this product can also determine if anyone has left the scene of the accident. The heat sensing camera has a wide range of motion that can be operated by a remote that can either be mounted inside of the fire apparatus or hand-held. "The camera will actually move all the way around and up and down. They will be mounted pretty high on the vehicle so it will get a good range of motion," Reeves says.

The FLIR thermal imaging heat camera is priced at about $7,000 per apparatus. CAL FIRE's current budget does not allow for this expenditure. Fortunately, grants for these heat cameras are available and will be applied for once the fire department's testing phase is complete.


Author:Deanne Goodman - Video, Renée Marquart - Text