Pasco rescue boat can see in the dark. That may save your life

PASCO, WA. A new camera could make the difference between rescuing a person from the Columbia River and recovering a body.

Pasco officials said an infrared camera installed on the department’s rescue boat will make a difference during rescue calls at night or in the fog — often the circumstances for emergency calls.

“They put a swimmer out in the water and from 80 feet away they were able to identify the swimmer,” said Assistant Chief Dave Hare.

Firefighters began practicing with the equipment last week, said Ben Shearer, fire department spokesman.

Images from the camera show a light purple and white spot — the swimmer — against the darker background of the river.

Firefighters often face a similar difficulty when searching for people inside a burning building and use infrared cameras to find people clouded by smoke.

“This is the same technology that we use in ... fires,” Hare said.

The city’s fire department began it’s water rescue program in 2016 and has responded more than 80 boating incidents on the Columbia, Snake and Yakima rivers.

Andeavor, formerly known as Tesoro Corporation, donated $9,100 — the full cost of the camera — through its foundation. The same technology that can spot people in the water can also help firefighters find chemicals spilled out into the water.

The camera is mounted on the cabin of Pasco’s rescue boat. It can see about 1,800 feet and detect changes of about four degrees.

Matt Gill, senior manager of government and public affairs for Andeavor, said the conversation about the camera started with during a drill about six months ago.

The discussion focused on how the fire department would respond if a spill happened: what tools they could bring, and if there was additional equipment that would help, he said.

“This can be used for any kind of oil on the water,” he said. “It could be something from one of the industries or a derelict boat. They’ll be able to use that camera to see where the diesel is and respond appropriately.”

The information can be passed along to the contractors Andeavor uses to respond to spills.

This story was originally published March 17, 2018 at 4:25 PM with the headline "Pasco rescue boat can see in the dark. That may save your life."