CORONA DEL MAR TODAY

NB Fire Department Gets $25,000 Grant, High-Tech Thermal Cameras

Thanks to a $25,000 grant from Shorepoint Insurance Services and Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, Newport Beach firefighters will receive two new high-tech thermal imaging cameras, an addition that means all 10 engines in the city will have thermal imagers.

The devices use technology that let firefighters “see” through smoke and darkness to locate people trapped in buildings, and they can help reduce property damage by letting firefighters locate hot spots inside walls.

“Not only do thermal imaging cameras serve as an important role in search and rescue operations, but they also function as a general firefighting tool,” Fire Chief Steve Lewis said in a statement. “Thermal imagers used to be considered a luxury, but now they’re a necessity because they can be used in so many different ways.”

Executives from Shorepoint and Fireman’s Fund will formally present the grant to fire officials and Newport Beach firefighters at 1:30 p.m. today at the Newport Beach Fire Department on Santa Barbara Drive.