Check out the following Bullard resources to assist your department with training and education:
First check out this general overview of the Bullard QXT/NXT:
- Understanding Temperature Modes:
High Sensitivity/Low Sensitivity Demonstration:
Notice in the video as the firefighter scans up and down the TIC will switch from High Sensitivity to Low Sensitivity. As the TIC switches to Low Sensitivity (indicated by a green triangle in the upper left-hand corner) the floor and door frame are harder to see. As the TIC switches back to High Sensitivity, as the TIC is pointed at the floor, you can see details in the floor previously unseen.
For reference, the Bullard QXT or NXT switches from high sensitivity to low sensitivity when 3% of the pixels reach 230 degrees Fahrenheit and it will switch back to high sensitivity when 97% of the pixels detect 158 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.
How High & Low Sensitivity Effects Victim Identification and Search Efforts?
Notice in the following video how when we scan with the Bullard NXT that in Low Sensitivity the victim and lower areas are very difficult to see. However, when we scan the floor and force the TIC into high sensitivity the image clarity dramatically improves! A firefighter can stay low/scan low with the Bullard NXT which will provide amazing image clarity.
- Flow Path Identification & Stream Placement:
With the recent release of the UL Stream study, we thought it would be relevant to share a short education video on flow path identification and stream placement. In this video, (filmed in Ottawa Canada with a Bullard LDX TIC) one can easily identify convection heat currents and a bi-directional flow path at the door. The crew leader continually guides the stream, cools, confirms, and communicates where to move to next. Several valuable lessons are in this short video: Flow paths must be identified and controlled, Do not advance in an exhaust, do not stand up in these convective heat currents, control the air behind you, the area must be continually cooled and often too much water is applied to the ceiling instead of coating the walls and floor which allows moisture to move into the molecular air movement path which is often carried to the base of the fire.
- Why colorization AND Grayscale is important?
Many firefighters are unaware that all TIC’s have colors associated with specific temperatures that are displayed upon the screen. Within this problem lies another problem as many firefighters are reading the spot temperature instead of reading the color palette. The spot temperature is the number located in the lower right-hand corner of the view finder. It is as the word implies, “the temperature of a spot” and not the overall temperature of the environment. Firefighters who use the spot temperature will be misled as this measurement doesn’t account for the many variables in a fire. The temperature measurement can be hundreds of degrees off depending upon the distance to the target, the emissivity of the surface, the atmospheric attenuation, and the reflected apparent temperature of the surface. Thus, the fire service TIC is qualitative in nature and should not be used for exact measurements.
As shown in the following video, notice the fast-moving gray convection currents above the firefighter’s head. These appear as waves as the heat moves from one superheated space towards the cooler regions. These currents are HOT. Notice how the spot temperature doesn’t adequately reflect the overall severity of the environment.
It’s important to note that TIC’s do NOT read gas temperatures so the temperatures we are seeing are “apparent temperatures” otherwise known as an estimated temperature value. Therefore, those fast-moving convection currents are much hotter than we realize. A firefighter should NOT pass by them or stand up in them as they can superheat their gear, soften their Facepiece, and lead to the cumulative thermal insult.
Many facepieces begin to soften at 290 degrees and can fail between 356-600 degrees Fahrenheit. Bullard users need to be aware that their proprietary color palette does not show any colorization until 500 degrees.
In other words, firefighters should not wait until we see colors before we cool the environment. Gray scale convection currents are HOT!
Convection currents can assist firefighters with identifying the location and intensity of the fire. In short, Convection equals direction!
Check out this video see this in action:
- TIC Limitations Video:
It’s important that firefighters understand the limitations, contraindications, and how to overcome limitations. The following video covers many of these factors.
- Bullard Transitional Fire Attack Demonstration:
In this video, a 2 ½ attack line is flowed from outside the structure into the second floor. Notice how quickly the heat in the room is knocked down. It is important to note the fire is not fully extinguished. The firefighters must “transition” into the interior fire room and fully extinguish the fire.
- Bullard Optical vs Thermal Video Demonstration: In this video, West Virginia Fire Service Extension demonstrates an arson research burn. The video demonstrates the power of viewing the environment through the thermal imaging camera.
Please let us know if you have any questions about these videos or resources.
Andy J. Starnes
Insight Fire Training
Owner/Founder
Level II Themologist
