What will the TIC standard NFPA 1801 mean for firefighters?
Published: 31 March, 2009
The end of 2009 could see the first NFPA standard for thermal imaging cameras (TICs) – but what will it mean for firefighters? Industry expert Paul Spooner of e2v, manufacturer of the Argus TIC, sheds some light on the NFPA 1801 (draft version).
The end of 2009 could see the first NFPA standard for thermal imaging cameras (TICs) – but what will it mean for firefighters? Industry expert Paul Spooner of e2v, manufacturer of the Argus TIC, sheds some light on the NFPA 1801 (draft version).
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has for the last few years been researching TIC performance, assessing the needs and activities of first responders. The consolidation of all of this information resulted in a set of performance metrics describing TIC functionalities which have resulted in a draft version of NFPA 1801, Standard on Thermal Imagers for the Fire Service, which is currently in the public proposal phase.
to specifying TICS and how manufacturers promote their TICS.
For TICs to comply with the standard they will need to be tested by a third party. The TICs will go through a number of tests, including image quality, spot temperature accuracy, flashover/ water/ and tumble tests.
At what stage are we now?
At the moment the standard is back out for public consultation until the end of March. By the end of this year the decision will be made as to any changes, and thereafter it will be set in stone. I’m 99 per cent sure that the standard will remain as it is in its current draft form.
What is behind the latest standard?
The main goal is to make sure all manufacturers can produce a TIC that anybody that’s been trained on any TIC can then use. Basically, from the time of power up, all NFPA-certified TICs should look the same in terms of battery bar, colourisation and location of information on the screen. However, beyond the common operating mode there will be various modes that do not have to look the same, such as image capture.
Does the US need a TIC standard?
I think it is long overdue. There has been too much market “specmanship” to the point that specifications promoted by suppliers were in some cases meaningless. It is important to be able to benchmark different products and to do this it is vital for the specification information of different TICs to match.
An example of this is the heat exposure test – we as a company do not know under what conditions our competitors carry out their tests, so comparative results will vary. The new standard brings it all under one spec that cannot be exaggerated.
Who is behind it?
The original idea came form a company called Safe-IR in Orange County, New York, that offers training in TICs. It was floated by them about four years ago and picked up by NFPA because the one piece of equipment that went in a fire truck and didn’t have an NFPA standard was the TIC.
What does the new standard mean for the TIC market?
The new standard will create a level playing field when it comes
