High-Tech Camera Gifted to Tuolumne FD

The Tuolumne City Fire Station yesterday received a high-tech gift that has the potential to save lives.

A new handheld Thermal Imaging Camera will help Tuolumne City firefighters quickly locate fires inside burning buildings, and can also help find survivors in smoke-filled rooms.

Patrick Walsh is the President of the non-profit Firefighters Save-A-Life Fund.

He says they´ve distributed over a dozen of the specialized, 9000-dollar infrared cameras so far.

“We´ve got something like 60-thousand dollars in grants that we´re hoping to get for Christmas. We were able to give out two cameras to the fire departments last Christmas, so it was a heck of a Christmas present for them,” Walsh said.

And Walsh believes in the Thermal Imaging Cameras as a proven way to save lives.

“It´s too cheap to lose a life over, $8500. It´s the kids, the firefighters, the people thrown out of a vehicle. It can spot a person out laying in a field,” Walsh demonstrated.

Donations from the Black Oak Casino, Jamestown Harley Davidson and the J.M. Long Foundation all helped to purchase the cameras.

A presentation and demonstration were held at the Tuolumne City Fire Station Monday afternoon.