What piece of apparatus should the TIC be on?

[Plectron 1]

What piece of apparatus should the TIC be on? 1'st due engine? ladder? rescue?

I think it should be on a first in engine, so it can be used for the primary search. But apparently in my department it has been decided that it should be in the back of the chiefs car and and have nobody trained on how to use it properly, and only gets used occasionally.

[Guest x2371]

We only have one (for now) and its on our ladder. Its on our ladder because that it what we roll as a fast truck. If we get a second one would probably end up on an engine.

[firemn23 8]

plectron we had the same discussion when we got ours. The reason it would go in a chiefs car is beyond me. Chiefs DO NOT respond to every call. Our department put it on the ladder, but what about all the calls the ladder does not go on (car accidents). TIC is a tool that can be used to look for victims at the scene of a car accident

[DMA327 12]

Wow, on the chiefs car... Where are you from? and what happens when the chief isn't around?

In my town, we have a TIC on our FAST engine and we have our main TIC in our rescue truck which also holds the TV monitoring equipment.

Not sure how long thats gonna last since the rescue never gets out!

Personally i think it belongs on the Truck bc its the first rig pulling up in front and they're the first in the building...But, in order to have that, you need to act like a real truck company thats gets off with a full crew every call

[TRUCK6018 50]

The last place it should be on is a command vehicle.

If you are a department that may have multiple first due engines dependent on the response area it would make more sence to have it on one vehicle that responds to all alarms such as a truck or rescue. Being on the rescue, it would be there for MVA's if it were needed.

Remember, there are more uses for TIC then just fires.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Whatever apparatus that responds to the majority of structure related calls should get the TIC. Yes it has capabilities well beyond structure related calls, but life safety in that regard takes priority as well as the amount of times it would be handy in that situation. I could care less which truck runs as a FAST truck, you and your customers should come before anothers. When the opportunity to get another arises, then you can evaluate how it should get placed there. Yes, they can be valuable at car accidents, but how often is someone missing an issue? You still have to do a physical 360 as well. If your on the scene of a hazmat and want to check a tank level, chances are you are going to be responding in your first in unit, or more then likely, your response will or should be similiar to a structure related call.

[CFD320 35]

There should be one on every peice....If you have to pick one It should be the Truck.

Having one on a command vehicle would only work for a career department, where that vehicle is always in service.

(I'm assuming we are talking about a small department where the truck would respond to every structural alarm)

[DOC22 1]

We keep ours on the Recue cause that's gonna go on just about every call we do. If it doesn't get on the road we just have the tones dropped for it. Works well for us.

[EJS1810 7]

We keep ours on the first due engine out of each station (Headquarters and Buckshollow Rd have TIC's now and Crane Rd's is on order for the new engine.) If and when we get our FAST Team operational they will take it off the engine before the truck responds.

Update 5/1/2005. First due out of each Station (3) now has a Bullard TIC

[LCFD968 10]

Lake Carmel Keeps theres on first due engine. If the F.A.S.T. gets dispatched we take it off and take with our FAST vehicel(rescue). There has been numerous occasions when we needed for possible drowning victim or lost person calls where the first due never responded and we just took it with us. To have it a Chiefs vehicle I think it is outregous. Even if they get delayed a little bit it could be the difference between life and death.

[x648eng119 2]

This is an argument that can go so many different ways. Like DMA said, the truck is a good place, becasue the are SUPPOSED to be first in. FAST engine, yeah, another good place to have it. Command vehicle, only if it is guaranteed to be on every call (carrer depts only.) Rescue - debatable. If it can be afforded, I like the idea of one in every house. Take Croton for instance. E119 - Sta 2, and R18 - Sta 3 Have on. Now if TL44 or E118 got on (Sta 1) If one rig is going out as opposed to another, someone could just grab it and bring it to the scene. Unfortunatley, not every dept can go out and 3 or 4 imagers.

[mfc2257 464]

In a department that has seperate truck, engine and rescue companies, it should be on the truck. Part of their job description is search and rescue.

For those departments that don't have seperate companies it should be on the first rig out the door which is usually the engine.

[DMA327 12]

But that only holds true if they use their truck as a real truck company

[Guest DG795]

Slight of topic but:

I was fortunate enough to take a thermal imaging class from a company called Safe-IR two years ago. If you think you know how to use a thermal camera (and I did), they will blow you away. Any department that owns a camera should think about having a class with these guys, it is a real eye opener as to the positives and negatives of TICs and how to utilize them to their fullest potential for engine ops, and truck ops. Some of the topics covered are:

-Thermal Inversion

-Heat Layers

-Visualization of expanding fire

-Avoiding tunnel vision

-what to do if a malfunction occurs

-Engine tactics utilizing a camera

-Search Tactics utilizing a camera

Their website is http://www.safe-ir.com/

If you do use them for a class make the effort to take it at a class A burn training facility.

[HFD23 37]

In Hartsdale we are lucky to have 3 MSA TiC's they are located on Engines 169 and 170, along with in Car 2172 The Duty Deputy Cheifs Car That responds on everything aside from EMS. IF 169 or 170 are out of service the Camera is transfered to The SPare Engine 171. Also if Tower Ladder 15 responds mutual Aid to say White Plains or any where else the camera is removed from car 2172 and goes with the tower ladder. 2172 is aslo has a tv monitor that recieves the thermal imaging camera and has the ability for commmand oficers to view that the camera see's as well as can record the image.

[CHIEFPHIL 90]

1 on the first due engine in the down town dist.

1 on the second due engine down town /which is 3rd due across town

1 on the cross town first due engine

1 on the cross town rescue

so at any job 3 will be onscene on the first alarm. the 4th comes on a sc or 2nd alarm

[Alfons0x66 0]

one on every piece of apparatus we have

[billfitz 109]

Yonkers currently has one on each truck(6), 2 on the Rescue, one on each single engine company (6) - this provides at least one in every fire station - 2 more currently on order - by end of 2005 will have 5 additional units for engines in double companies - equipping each unit with one

[Guest]

1st due engine or truck or both if you can afford 2. the chief is not always going to be there

[Guest]

Remember CHAOS- Chief Has Arrived On Scene!!!

[bmfd231 3]

In our village we have it on the Rescue, but I believe it should be on the ladder.

The ladder is the only apparatus that responds only to structure fires and is responsible for search and rescue.

The rescue, or any of the engines, could be at an accident during a fire call making the TIC usless

[JohnnyOV 2]

The ladder is the only apparatus that responds only to structure fires and is responsible for search and rescue.

what about a confined space rescues? i.e sewars and such with long dark tunnels

[PVFD113 6]

If you only have one--the rescue is a good place for it. If you have a RIT team--which truck is designated for RIT calls? We use the rescue--another reason to have it on there. Hopefully we can obtain a second for the "B" side and put it on the engine/rescue. Yes if the rig is tied up on a nother call--IF that could be an issue--you can call mutual aid at that point or have someone bring it over.

[PVFD113 6]

You are talking alot of could be's--what if your ladder was on a mutual aid call--Your point is understood but you have to look outside the box sometimes. Honestly--a second camera would be very helpful. Prices have come down a bit now so you can get a second unit--even if it is not the top of the line unit--as long as it works.

[Guest]

Our camera is on E34, unless its outta service and then the camera is on the truck. Hopefully we'll get a second for the rescue.

[Guest SQUADco119]

Basically you have to put it on the piece of appuratuss that works for your department. Face most of us cant afford to have 3-6 imagers sio you should put it on an appuratuss that is dependable and knows how to use. A rescue or ladder truck is ideal especially if you have to whole monitoring system. But if makes sense to put it on an engine or what have and that works for your dept. then so be it!

[Guest res40cue]

in port chester its on the rescue.the rescue responds toall call with the execption of maybe a brush fire or garbage can fire.we have used the tic alot .we use it at all bad car accidents with it working well .found a girl that was ejected.,we also have used it to look for missing persons.the main reason it went on our rig is because we perform the search and rescue and also are ready to put are fast team in place.

[Guest]

in mamaroneck we have a tic on each of are 4 engines and 1 on both of are ladders because we never know who is going to be thier and who will be 1st due

[Guest]

A TIC is a very important piece of equipment and pity they are so expensive as to make it impractical to put one on all apparatus. Each type of company can justify the need for it based on the company's responsibility. I think a TIC is as important as the other great firefighting tools, the air pack, the portable radio and last but not least, THE BRAIN.

[Guest]

It belongs on every fontline suppression piece in your department! The officer on every rig should carry the TIC to aid them!

Stop wasting the money on needless items!