NORWICH, Conn. — The Norwich Fire Department is getting ready to roll out some new equipment with the help of a federal grant.
The money, coming from the Assistance to Firefighter Grants Program, will allow the department to buy new thermal cameras. The total award is just over $250,000.
“Hugely important, especially for a city like Norwich. We’re a distressed community, I think is the word the state uses for us,” said Norwich Fire Chief Tracy Montoya.
Montoya said the money will go toward buying six new thermal imaging cameras and training for the staff on how to use them. Montoya said this is especially important after a series of recent retirements.
“In the past five years, we’ve had 11 officers retire, and four senior firefighters. And between those 15 personnel, we lost 338 years of Norwich Fire Department experience. The good thing is, change is always good, and we have a young enthusiastic capable group, but we need some training,” Montoya said.
The new cameras will replace the six old ones the department has now, where many of them are way past their life span and not currently up to compliance standards.
“Some of our cameras are 14 years old. And that’s probably about twice the life expectancy that they’re recommended for,” Montoya said.
The new technology is up to the National Fire Protection Association's standards.
“And it’s got a longer, extended battery life. A smaller lens but better quality pixels to allow us to see the temperature differentials,” said Jason Erban, director of Training and Safety at the Norwich Fire Department.
“There’s two modes to the camera that we can switch to, based on our operations. We have searching for fire or searching for life hazard here, which shows the heat signatures and temperature differentials as we scan throughout the room,” Erban said. “Then, we can use the temperature differential to scan for victims, which may appear in a different silhouette than their surroundings.”
The tool can also pinpoint where trouble spots remain after most of the fire is put out to reduce further damage to a building or home.
“So, if we’re looking for a hidden pocket of fire behind a wall, or an electrical outlet that’s discharging a lot of heat or malfunctioning, we can actually see the difference in temperature,” Erban explained, as he demoed the new equipment.
The announcement for the funding came in a visit from U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal to the department on Friday. It’s one of several departments he has visited within the last couple of weeks that are recipients of this special grant money.
“Almost all departments have some thermal imaging device. But the latest technology is what they really should have. And that’s why we are fighting; the cutthroat competition makes it difficult. But we are fighting for all of Connecticut’s departments to have the latest, greatest technology because it will help save lives,” Blumenthal said.
The most efficient way to get that money to departments like Norwich, Blumenthal said, is through the AFG program.
“We’re delivering assistance to firefighters because they have to be a priority. They’re out there every day, no matter what the weather is, to save lives and help people they deserve protection,” Blumenthal said.
“We have a lot of things pulling us in different directions, so when we can supplement that with a federal grant, it’s a blessing to us and to the city,” Montoya said.
From here, Montoya said they will be getting the new cameras, and then working with a vendor to train their staff. He said it’ll likely take a few months for all the new equipment to come in. The department already has one new camera from a separate grant they also recently received.
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Julia LeBlanc is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jleblanc@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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