Jim Cast
Headquarters, Washington, DC            October 7, 1996
(Phone:  202/358-1779)

Lanee Cobb
Stennis Space Center, MS
(Phone:  601/688-1957)

RELEASE:  96-200

NASA-DEVELOPED ANTI-FIRE DEVICE SOON TO BE AVAILABLE TO FIREFIGHTERS

     Through an exclusive patent licensing agreement with 
NASA, a company in Buffalo, NY, will manufacture and market a 
fire imager device that will aid firefighters to see 
invisible flames and help them navigate through smoky buildings.

     Called FIRESCAPE, the device can image the invisible 
flames of alcohol and hydrogen fires during the daytime as 
well as see through smoke.  It also can find the origin of 
visible fires. The company, called SafetySCAN, which 
specializes in fire safety electronic products, will make the 
device the first affordable commercial product for fire 
imaging. The company hopes to have it available to U.S. fire 
departments by the spring of next year.

     "SafetySCAN has a very compatible product line that is 
already targeted to the fire fighting industry.  This allows 
for easy incorporation of NASA fire imager technology, said 
Brenda Smith, from StennisÕ Technology Transfer Office.

     Used like binoculars, FIRESCAPE has no moving parts 
exposed to the environment.  Optics are sealed within a case 
to protect them from smoke and grit.  Also, the device is 
operational in less than five seconds and can be used for two 
hours continuously without recharging.  It also can withstand 
the rigors of industrial and fire service.

     Firefighters who deal with hydrogen or alcohol fires 
typically have to rely on an antiquated "broom method" to 
locate invisible flames.  This method involves holding out a 
corn straw broom, like that used to sweep a kitchen or porch, 
waving it around an area and hoping it catches fire first.  
Using FIRESCAPE, firefighters will now be able to remain at a 
safe distance and forgo risky methods of finding invisible fires.

     In addition to safety, two of the primary benefits of 
using the fire imager are the simple operation of the device 
and the low purchase cost of $5,000 per unit.  The fire 
imager is easy to operate with a push button on/off switch 
and a button to compensate for sunny and cloudy conditions.

     The device was originally developed by two engineers at 
NASAÕs John C. Stennis Space Center, MS for use with fighting 
hydrogen and alcohol fires, which have invisible flames in 
daylight due to their clean-burning chemical makeup.  Since 
Stennis uses more than one million gallons of hydrogen per 
month in its rocket engine testing programs, the engineers 
realized the desperate need for locating invisible hydrogen 
fire flames. 

     The engineers drew on their experience in thermal 
imaging technology to develop the device. Thermal imaging is 
used at NASAÕs Kennedy Space Center, FL, for ice detection on 
the Space Shuttle, as well as on filtered cameras used for 
rocket engine plume diagnostics.

     There are currently thermal imagers on the market for 
fire department usage, which are more expensive.  In 
addition, this thermal technology causes problems for 
firefighters who are not familiar with the device since they 
may not be able to read writing on walls or distinguish 
easily between a window and a picture frame.
 
     "There was a huge gap in technology between the $3 broom 
and the $30,000 thermal imagers," said Heidi Barnes, one of 
the engineers who originally developed the device. 
"Firefighters need a reliable but economical device to assist 
them in their work.  The technology was there.  It has just 
been a matter of developing something relatively simple to 
use and get it out there to them."

     Harvey Smith, the other engineer who developed the 
device, said they are still exploring other possible 
applications of the fire imager for fire departments, such as 
finding smoldering embers in forest fires. 

                            -end-

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