3M thermal imaging camera – designed by firefighters for firefighters

Diversified technology company 3M develops the FF131, a thermal imaging camera designed and engineered by firefighters for firefighters to provide reliable, high quality thermal imaging.

As the leading thermal imaging camera of its type, the 3M FF131 infrared imaging camera has been crafted to assist firefighters as they navigate smoke-filled and burning buildings in search and rescues. It combines advanced detector technology with an innovative, task-orientated mechanical design and is completely self-contained with no external cables or components to catch or impair movement.

Sarah Broadbent, from 3M’s Technical Support Team said: “This is a specialised product that will be sold only to fire and rescue services. According to users in Europe, this rugged and robust camera provides the best picture quality on the market. The screen is very bright, which makes the images highly viewable.”

Whether standing, walking, crawling or kneeling, firefighters can rely on the FF131 to ‘see’ the scene. The camera has many innovative features including a MicroIR microbolometer detector that includes the VOx sensing material offering the highest sensitivity to heat (0-600 0C viewable temperature range), a high resolution, fast update rate, and wide dynamic range. Another integral feature is the digital temperature measurement, including InfoTherm, which enhances situational awareness by applying a colour palette to temperatures around the combustion point of paper and wood products.

The ergonomic design provides a variety of holding positions for maximum flexibility, including the ability to look under, over and around obstacles. It is designed to be carried low, near the waist, relieving strain on the shoulder and distributing its weight throughout the arm. The camera has a large display for clear viewing, even in darker smoky atmospheres; large controls which are easy to reach with one hand; and a quick and simple battery change.

The 3M FF131 boosts search operations at the scene by providing search and rescue crews with spatial awareness in dark, smoke filled environments and recognising thermal signatures on fixtures and fittings. It is a very useful tool for checking for fire extension, to view burned material and look for hot spots, aiding the possibility of quick, complete extinguishment and early release of the search and rescue crews. The camera’s broad dynamic range also helps search crews to see objects of differing temperatures simultaneously.

The FF131 can be used to identify potential flashovers or back drafts, determining where ventilation and hose lines are needed. In this situation it can scan entire rooms in search of victims, firefighters in trouble, fire extension and ceiling-level heat wave build-up.

For more information about the FF131 please visit www.3m.co.uk/tic or call 0870 60 800 60 in the UK or 1-800 320 500 in Ireland quoting ‘PRTIC’.


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3M is a trademark of 3M Company

3M – Practical and ingenious solutions that help customers succeed

3M is a $24.5 billion diversified technology company which, since 1902, has been creating innovative products that help make the world healthier, safer and more productive. Well known 3M brands include Scotch, Post-it, Scotchgard, Thinsulate and Scotch-Brite.

3M employs 76,200 people worldwide, producing thousands of innovative products for customers in dozens of diverse markets in some 200 countries. Its 45 technology platforms touch nearly every aspect of modern life - the company has applied its expertise in RFID technology to deliver biometric passports; it is using its understanding of the healthcare industry to provide hospitals with infection prevention and detection solutions; and its digital signage offerings are revolutionising the way businesses communicate with their customers, their employees and the general public.

The UK and Ireland is home to one of the largest 3M subsidiaries outside the USA, employing 4000 people across 18 locations, including 12 manufacturing sites. Products manufactured in the UK include coated abrasives, occupational health and environmental safety equipment, adhesive tapes, industrial microbiology products, drug delivery systems, high-performance coatings, secure documents and passport scanners.

3M Centre, Cain Road, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 8HT
Tel: 08705 360036
www.3m.co.uk/tic