In partnership with the Los Angeles Fire Department, Seek Thermal announces it will supply fire and rescue personnel with thermal imaging cameras as part of standard gear across the city when on duty.

Thermal imaging cameras are potentially lifesaving pieces of equipment because they provide the ability to "see" heat instead of light and display it on a screen.  Fire & rescue professionals can find people and view their surroundings even in dangerous environments that are dark and filled with smoke.

"Access to low-cost, high-resolution thermal cameras will save lives." said Mike Muench, CEO of Seek Thermal. "Due to the high cost of thermal imaging cameras in the past, only five percent (5%) of firefighters had access to this technology. Now, through this partnership with LAFD, we are providing 100% of these men and women with lifesaving technology."

With a thermal imager's ability to detect heat – otherwise invisible to the human eye – and see through smoke, firefighters and rescue personnel can increase two vital parts of any emergency call, safety and speed. The variety of these situations include:

• Increasing personal safety while fighting fires with the ability to "see" through thick, dark smoke and provide greater security to themselves and other firefighters by being able to avoid and rescue themselves from potential trouble such as open holes in the floors of burning structures or other environmental dangers.
• Discovering faster ways to search buildings for people and animals to save more lives. Also, once it's established all people and animals have been rescued from a burning structure, water can be applied on a building sooner which will potentially save property from being further damaged.
• Enhancing the speed at which overhaul work can be done following a fire.  Thermal imaging can help ensure there are no more hot spots from a structural fire.

"3,350 firefighters and I are excited to learn that we will provide every firefighter position with lifesaving thermal imaging cameras during the next six months," said Assistant Chief Wade White of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

"Now that this technology is available at a fraction of the price, we are thrilled to empower our team with this advancement to bring a new level of safety to the firefighters of Los Angeles as well as the community they work so hard to protect every day."

Seek Thermal imaging cameras are designed and manufactured in Santa Barbara, California. For more information on how Seek Thermal serves the firefighting and search and rescue professions, visit https://www.thermal.com/firefighting.html.