Fire Department Gets 12 Thermal Imaging Cameras Via FEMA Grant

EAST HAVEN, CT —Last August, the town announced it received a $136,236 FEMA grant for the East Haven Fire Department to purchase thermal imaging cameras. Thursday, those cameras arrived.

The federal funding was provided through FEMA's Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. East Haven's award was the fourth-highest in the state during the 2021 round of grants, officials said.

Chief Matt Marcarelli said the 12 state-of-the-art thermal imaging cameras help firefighters save lives.

With the cameras, firefighters can see through walls to locate hidden fire in walls. And they can be used at night to help find trapped or lost victims by detecting their heat signature, Marcarelli said.

The grant award was timely as Marcarelli said last summer, given the department's last thermal imager was taken out of service at the Countryside fire after being repaired several times due to normal wear and tear.

"The technology has been around for a while but regular replacement was not a possibility due to other life safety items having a priority," he said then. "Now every fire unit career and volunteer will have a thermal imager to deploy at an incident. This is lifesaving technology.”

In January 2021, 16 people were left temporarily homeless when four Countryside Condominiums units were destroyed by a wind-swept fire that took two hours — and help from four nearby fire departments — to fight and knock down.

Thursday, Marcarelli shared the news that the department received the 12 "state-of-the-art" thermal imaging cameras.

Since 2017 the East Haven Fire Department has been awarded over $1.1 million through this grant program, largely through the efforts of Marcarelli, East Haven Mayor Joseph A. Carfora said last August.

Marcarelli said Thursday that the cost of the project was $108,000 with the town's share less than $10,000.

Carfora noted that Marcarelli "aggressively pursues grant funds whenever possible to reduce the financial obligation on the town who would normally fund these purchases."