The Cherryhill Township was recently awarded a grant from the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies to acquire hand held thermal imaging cameras (TIC's) for Cherryhill certified interior firefighters. The purpose of a TIC is to locate sources of heat in low to no visibility environments. The ability to quickly locate the heat source of humans, fire, or other relevant heat sources significantly increases operational efficiency in a wide array of uses for firefighters to operate more efficiently, quickly and safely in the execution of their duties.

The handheld TIC's are light weight and will be carried as part of the firefighter turn out equipment assembly and supplements larger TIC cameras currently in service by Cherryhill Fire Company. According to a statement by Fire Chief Jody Rainey, the addition of the hand held TIC's provides numerous benefits for our firefighters in the field. TIC's can be used to significantly aid in search for occupants or a downed firefighter during structural firefighting operations, can aid in locating heat sources during initial firefighting operations and during overhaul operations, can be used to locate lost persons during search details, to perimeter check for persons potentially ejected from a vehicle at accident scenes and also to determine temperatures of pressurized cylinders at hazardous materials incidents. The addition of hand held TIC's is a critical tool to meet our mission to protect life, property and the environment.

Cherryhill Fire noted the grant is a matching grant meaning the fire company is responsible for a cost share for the new equipment. Fire Company officials cited the continued support by the community of their various fund raising events as the reason Cherryhill Fire could pursue and secure this grant.