VIDEO: When a building fills with thick, black smoke, visibility drops to zero. For firefighters, every second counts. But that reality is starting to change for the Corpus Christi Fire Department.
I got a chance to try on this helmet, part of a new QWAKE technology system designed to help firefighters see through smoke and complete darkness. “Built in infrared camera that’s into the helmet. That really kind of sees through smoke,” said David Zarate, assistant fire chief.
The technology gives firefighters an advantage in times where the naked eye can’t keep up. And it doesn’t just help the firefighters inside.
Firefighters in the truck can monitor exactly what the firefighter wearing the helmet is seeing, giving staff real-time visuals during a fire.
Fire Captain Loosemore says before this, searches were often done without being able to see what was right in front of them.