When Duty Calls, This Small Tool Can Make a Big Difference
postedA vacant home rests among a canopy of evergreens, cedars, and maples. Firefighters assemble as commuters pass by along Packers Avenue.
Over the years, countless people have passed by this Roth Street property without paying it much mind. But now, with giant letters scrawled in spray paint on the brick exterior, the house is about to catch some attention.
For several weeks prior to this balmy March morning, firefighters have been cycling through the property to practice their skills in an unfamiliar but realistic environment.
At the helm is the MFD Fire Training Division leading dynamic and multi-faceted exercises that combine search and rescue tactics with updated "mayday" protocols.
This is done all while introducing firefighters to new technology aimed at improving their personal safety and situational awareness during a structure fire.
Search and SEEK
Using acquired structures like vacant, soon-to-be-demolished homes and commercial buildings has long been a coveted training opportunity for firefighters. In this exercise, firefighters are equipped with a new tool, the SEEK FirePRO 300 thermal imaging camera (TIC).
These devices detect differences in the surface temperature of objects, including people, when scanning an environment. With all frontline Madison Fire Department personnel equipped with them, the cameras will be used as a tool for navigation, search and rescue, locating the seat of a fire, identifying egress points, and assisting with salvage and overhaul operations.
"Let's say you're crawling down a hallway and there's a fire in a back bedroom," says Fire Training Officer Cameron Gasaway. "You may not be able to see where the fire is right away, but you can use a TIC to see, 'The thermal currents are coming out of here— that's where I need to head.'"
Thermal imaging cameras have been around a long time, but until recently they were large, clunky, and expensive. The SEEK FirePRO 300s are small enough to strap to a firefighter's turnout gear, and they cost roughly the same as a new iPhone.
While the TIC is a phenomenal situational awareness tool, training officers are quick to emphasize it doesn't negate or replace sound firefighting skills.
"It's not going to take the place of a search and rescue. It's another tool to help achieve those goals," said Gasaway.
Putting It All Together
After all MFD crews have had their chance to run through the new "mayday" protocols and training evolutions at the Roth Street property, the three-month training program culminates in the capstone exercise: a full house burn.
Training officers ignite a real fire in the building, under safe conditions, using clean fuel, like straw and wood. Crews assemble to observe the fire behavior and heat dynamics, not just with their own eyes but also through the lens of their personal TIC.
As the exercise advances, crews go on to practice hose advancements and fire attack, and ultimately, they stand by to protect the surroundings as the house meets its final demise.
New Life on Roth Street
In 2024, Madison Parks acquired the 14.9-acre Hartmeyer Roth Park, and this Roth Street property, as part of the Oscar Mayer Special Area Plan.
Madison Parks staff will lead park development planning and public engagement processes in the next year to determine what improvements and amenities will be constructed in the park. Public engagement will inform what will best serve the neighborhood.
The first phase of park improvements are tentatively planned for 2028. Exact timing of both the planning and construction of improvements is dependent on staffing and financial resources.
This content is free for use with credit to the City of Madison Fire Department.
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