Milwaukee firefighters receive generous donation of new thermal cameras

Milwaukee firefighters now have a new form of technology, right in the palms of their hands.

The Milwaukee Fire Department received 8 new thermal imaging cameras.

Paul Conway, a now-retired assistant chief, with the department donated the cameras.

He tells CBS 58 News that he wanted to donate them after an incident where a firefighter fell off the railing while searching an apartment building.

"It does everything that the large camera will do but this allows a firefighter to individually carry this camera, keep it right on his fire coat as you would see as it was strapped to it. He can bring it forward, he can view what's in front of him, what's above him, what's below him in a basement, and he or she can use the camera with very easy function, it's one button touch," said Paul Conway.

The cameras attach to a firefighter's oxygen equipment. The cameras have a 1,800 ft range and can work in temperatures from -40 up to 626 degrees Fahrenheit.