During Monday evening’s City Council meeting, recently retired firefighter Tom Douglas and his wife Debbie, announced a sizable donation of 10 personal hand held thermal imaging cameras for the City of Batavia Fire Department.
Every City of Batavia firefighter on duty will now carry one.
“This is big,” says Chief Stefano Napolitano.
The hand held camera will make it easier to see through smoke when vision is obscured as firefighters advance through and make an attack on a fire. The thermal imaging cameras also can assist in searching for victims.
Previously, the department only had three larger thermal imaging camera’s to use. One for each truck. Now there will be between 3-13 cameras on scene during an incident, depending on how many firefighters are on duty.
The Seek Thermal Imaging cameras were purchased through MES(Municipal Emergency Services) based in Poughkeepsie, NY, with the help of Justin Woodruff.
Douglas, who retired from City of Batavia Fire Department in October after 22 plus years, knows the tools the department uses and that technology changes monthly in firefighting.
“Knowing Senior Firefighter Douglas and his wife Debbie and the type of people they are, it did not surprise me that they wanted to give back to the City upon Tom’s retirement,” says Chief Napolitano.
“It’s a very substantial donation and very generous. I am simply humbled that he wanted to give back to the Department, but that’s the type firefighter and family that the Douglas family is . Even in retirement he is still educating and giving back.”
Chief Napolitano says the cameras will be put into service in about a week after the department is trained on them.
“We work in a very changing job,” says Tom Douglas.
“I always believe in serving the community, I love the community around here. I decided that when I ended my career, you’re always supposed to when your done with something, you give back. I wanted to give something back to the guys.”