Firefighters with Athens Fire & Rescue will soon have the latest thermal-imaging cameras to make firefighting and fire rescue much safer.

Athens bought thermal-imaging cameras for the fire department when the technology was available but the 10 new cameras Athens Fire & Rescue plans to buy soon are about the size of a cellphone and can be clipped to a firefighters turnout gear. So, for the first time, technology and cost will allow nearly every firefighter on a shift to have a thermal imager of his own. With cameras attached to their turnout gear, firefighters can immediately see people and hot spots.

“Safety is the biggest aspect,” Fire Chief Bryan Thornton told The News Courier during a break in the meeting.

The portability of the units will make firefighting safer because firefighters will be able to quickly find another firefighter should he get lost in a fire, Thornton said.

“If (firefighters) are doing a sweep search (inside a burning building), they keep in contact with each through touch,” the chief said. “But, with these thermal cameras, if they lose contact, they can quickly see where another firefighter is without having to go to the truck to get the thermal camera.”

City Council members approved the purchase by the Seek Thermal Reveal FirePRO cameras during their meeting Monday. The $6,500 for the 10 cameras was already built into the department’s budget.

Thermal cameras work by rendering infrared radiation as visible light. They allow firefighters to see areas through smoke, darkness or walls.

So sensitive are the new cameras that if you filled a plastic bucket with water, the camera could detect the water line, the fire chief said.

The body of the camera is made of the same composite materials that Indy race cars are made of, and the screen is made of Gorilla Glass, which is designed to withstand intense heat and water while also being non-reflective. The FirePRO does not require a mounted charger, instead using a charging method similar to a cell phone.