- Author
-
Amon, F. K.
|
Hamins, A.
|
Bryner, N. P.
|
Rowe, J.
- Title
- Meaningful Performance Evalution Conditions for Fire Service Thermal Imaging Cameras.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Journal
-
Fire Safety Journal,
Vol. 43,
No. 8,
541-550,
November 2008
- Keywords
-
thermal imaging
|
cameras
|
performance evaluation
|
fire departments
|
fire fighters
|
first responders
|
test methods
|
fire fighting equipment
|
fire fighting
|
rescue
|
hazardous materials
|
fire tests
|
NFPA 1801
|
ASTM E 1543-00
|
standards
|
compartment fires
|
experiments
|
heat release rate
|
temperature
|
smoke density
|
FT-IR
|
classifications
- Identifiers
- infrared cameras; standards development; Thermal Imaging Cameras (TIC); user imput; fire service TIC operations; workshop on Thermal Imaging Research Needs for First Responders; survey of relevant standards and work by others; thermal classes; peak conditions measured during typical compartment fire experiments; BFRL experimental results; consolidaiton of test condition information; proposed TIC testing conditions
- Abstract
- Thermal imaging cameras (TIC) are rapidly becoming integral equipment for the fire service for use in structure fires and other emergencies. The Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology has conducted research to establish test conditions that best represent the environment in which TIC are used. Firefighters may use TIC for field operations ranging from fire attack, search/rescue, hot spot detection, overhaul activities, to detecting the location of hazardous materials. To develop standardized TIC performance metrics and test methods that capture the harsh environment in which TIC may be used, information was collected from users, the literature, and from fire tests conducted at BFRL. A workshop was held to facilitate knowledge transfer from the fire service and TIC manufacturers. Full-scale and bench-scale experimental work focused on temperature extremes and the presence of obscuring media such as smoke, dust and water. Consolidation of fire environment data with fire fighting operations and imaging needs resulted in a set of performance metrics and test methods that relate to the conditions and tasks encountered by firefighters in structural fire fighting applications. This work is included in a new draft standard on fire service TIC.