Indeed, the pandemic has allowed everyone to go through some challenging times. Basic frontline employees bring their daily work to the brink of almost exhaustion. Although the fire department may not experience extreme turmoil like the medical staff, the fire station has also undergone great changes during this period. I am considering your training plan in particular. Sometimes in challenging situations, training may be the first neglected area. With the implementation of social distancing rules, some fire departments continue to conduct drills, some fire departments are hesitant to call additional personnel personally, while others have stopped all training until further notice.

If your training plan is disrupted, please use this time to review. I have compiled the most forgotten thermal imaging techniques. Let's dive in!

TI is only as effective as the interpretation or misunderstanding of the image by the end user. For the inexperienced, the best technology may be useless or fatal. Training in these unprecedented times is equally important because the message is clear: practice, practice, practice again.

Manfred Kihn is a 19-year veteran of the fire department. He has served as an ambulance crew, emergency services specialist, firefighter, captain, and fire chief. Since 2005, he has been a member of Bullard's emergency response team and is the company's thermal imaging technology firefighting training expert. He was certified by the Law Enforcement Thermal Imager Association (LETA), became a thermal imaging instructor, and was the recipient of the Ontario Firefighter's Bravery Medal. If you have any questions about thermal imaging, you can send an email to manfred_kihn@bullard.com.