New York State Assemblywoman Maureen O'Connell recently arranged to give a grant to the Garden City Fire Department for the purchase of a thermal imaging camera. Fire Chief Larry Nedelka accepted the grant on behalf of the entire fire department, noting that thermal imaging technology is a powerful weapon for the department in searching for victims or downed firefighters trapped in a blaze.

"This technology allows us to see through smoke, giving us an advantage when looking for trapped victims or a firefighter who has fallen," he said, "and it is a valuable tool in being able to identify the 'lay of the land' when entering a building.

"This grant from Assemblywoman O'Connell allows us to purchase the state-of-the-art technology in thermal imaging cameras as well as remote telemetry transmission," Chief Nedelka said.

Another asset of the camera is the fact that fire fighters will now be better able to find sources of heat and fire behind walls. "This allows us to get the job done with minimal 'exploratory' damage to homes and buildings," he concluded.