BY DAVID ECK
Enquirer Contributor
UNION TOWNSHIP -- Mindy Barnes has lived in Butler County's Union Township only since October, but she hopes to leave a lasting -- and life-saving -- mark on her community.
TO HELP
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Send donations for the Union Township Thermal Image Helmet Fund to:
Union Township Fire Department
9119 Cincinnati-Dayton Road
West Chester 45069
Information: 777-1133.
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For months, the mother of two has been raising money for the Union Township Fire Department to buy two thermal imaging fire helmets. The helmets, which sense body heat and allow firefighters to more quickly find victims, cost $25,000 each.
"Right now, I think we have $4,900," she said. "We're hoping to get businesses more involved." In the Union Township fire headquarters, a bright red poster charts her progress.
The helmets use technology developed by the military. Assistant Fire Chief Tony Goller said the helmets can track the movement of victims in a fire, allow crews to see through heavy smoke and help firefighters find a fire in a smoke-filled building.
"They are so sensitive, you can actually see where the (victim) has been," he said. "It will reduce fire damage and everything." Excluding sprinkler systems, the technology is probably the greatest advancement in firefighting in more than a decade, he said. The helmets were made available within the last two years. Mrs. Barnes learned about the equipment last year from a network news show, and she immediately thought of her kids.
"I couldn't imagine something happening to my children that could have been prevented," she said. "It could benefit the entire community, everyone working and living in Union Township."
Assistant Chief Goller said it is difficult for fire departments to budget for the costly helmets. So Mrs. Barnes is taking the cause to the community.
She is working with school and community groups, planning dinners, and seeking donations and grants from area businesses. Soon, coin jars will be popping up in restaurants, shops and convenience stores. "Hopefully, we'll get some events going," she said. "I started this before I even moved here."
Assistant Chief Goller said he has never seen a resident work so hard for new fire equipment. The department sends inquiries about donations and requests for information to her.
"This has really been the first time someone has taken something on like this," he said. "Essentially she coordinates all the fund raising."
The Mason-Deerfield Joint Fire District and the Sycamore Township Fire Department are among the few area departments with the technology. The Madeira and Indian Hill Fire Department recently ordered a helmet after Madeira High School student Jenny Greenert raised money in that community.
"That technology is letting us use the firefighters' education and applications at the same time," said Sycamore Township Fire Chief B.J. Jetter.
"We go into a room and see how hot the ceiling is. It will show us where the extreme heat conditions are. It's helping us to finally define the travel of the fire," he said.
Mrs. Barnes has no timetable for raising the money needed for Union Township, but she thinks that her efforts will pay off for her new community.
"It's the newest technology available," she said. "It just struck me as something that was needed. Even if it saves just one life, the money is worth it."
