Chelsea Firefighters

Amid much hype, Bullard introduced a new little brother thermal imaging camera under the slogan "Thermal Imaging is about to get personal." While big city firefighters may rejoice at the prospect of another tool in their toolbet, it's not likely a done-deal given current pressures on city emergency services. At half the cost of the full-size system, however, it might start to reach a price-performance barrier that is more attractive to smaller fire departments...but not as a personal device. This device, named the eClipse, brings down the price of entry-level thermal imaging to a range that is more attractive for cash-strapped fire departments. At less than half the cost of a full-sized TI camera's  10,000$ US price tag, it presents a price-point which can be more easily achieved with local fundraisers or by knocking on the doors of your provincial or state politician.

For details, check out Bullard's site.

What is the value of a volunteer firefighter? Priceless, of course, if you're in a credit card commercial, but an American organization has pegged the value of a volunteer at 20.25 US$ per hour, up almost a buck from last time. That number is just a statistical exercise for use by bean counters, but it's an interesting number to talk about. In some parts of the world (Quebec labour laws consider its volunteer firefighters as part-time municipal employees and forces cities to pay them a wage, at least when they're fighting fires), notably in the US, firefighters are paid, if at all, per call.