The Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. has been awarded a $21,480 grant by the Leary Firefighters Foundation for the purchase of 26 thermal imaging cameras. This will put a full size FLIR K2 thermal imaging camera in each first-out unit in our fleet, and 23 personal Seek Reveal Fire Pro X cameras in each riding position for individual firefighters.
“Being awarded this grant will allow us to put a lifesaving tool in every riding position on all of our suppression apparatus,” HVFD Chief Ryan Pidgeon said. “Our department is committed to ensuring that our members have the best equipment possible in order to be prepared for any situation they may be faced with – and the tools needed to keep them safe in fire and rescue operations.”
The thermal imagers are used by our crews to see through areas of heat through smoke, darkness, and other heat-permeable barriers. This allows for more rapid location of downed victims as well as more rapidly extinguishing fire.
The Leary Firefighters Foundation was established in 2000 by actor Denis Leary in response to a tragic fire in Worcester, Massachusetts that claimed the lives of his cousin, a childhood friend, and four other brave firefighters. It is the only foundation in the country that funds equipment, vehicles, education, training, and technology for firefighters nationwide.
The Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department, a 501(c)(3) non-profit emergency response organization, provides fire, rescue, and emergency medical services to residents of the City of Hyattsville, Town of University Park and citizens throughout Prince George’s County, Maryland and adjacent jurisdictions. The department responds to over 5,000 emergencies annually.
