Rotary gives Taradale fire brigade a lifesaving camera that can see through walls

Taradale Volunteer Fire Brigade senior station officer Paul Hughes (left) receives a new thermal-imaging camera from Rotary Club of Taradale president Claire Connor. Photo / Supplied

The Taradale Volunteer Fire Brigade is grateful to the Rotary Club of Taradale and the Rotary Foundation for its new thermal-imaging camera.

The camera, worth $8000, was presented to senior station officer Paul Hughes on Thursday by club president Claire Connor.

Hughes said the thermal-imaging camera would bring many benefits to the brigade.

Being able to see people through smoke would make it much easier and faster to save someone stuck in a smoked-out building, he said.

"With these cameras we can actually look in through the walls as such, and see if there's anything smouldering inside the walls or the roof," said Hughes.

"That's a big one for us, we don't want to go home not knowing if we put it out."

Hughes said there was no way the brigade could afford that technology without the help of Rotary.

"It's something that we would dream of having, and now we've got one."

Although a thermal-imaging camera has been on Hughes' personal wish-list for the station for about 14 years, fundraising didn't begin until about two years ago.

"We're always trying to look at better ways of serving our community by having the right tools to do the job," he said.

The Rotary Club of Taradale applied for funding from the Rotary Foundation after a visit from Paul Hughes in August 2019.

The grant it received was supplemented by income from the Puketapu Auction and Fair to raise enough for the camera.

Hughes said the fire brigade owed a big thank-you to Rotary for its efforts and generosity:

"We appreciate them looking after the community, just like we do."