Bradford firefighters are going hi-tech with the latest video cameras which can even detect hoax callers in telephone boxes. Joanne Earp reports.

As the fire brigade prepares to enter a new millennium, West Yorkshire is the authority breaking new ground when it comes to using the very latest in modern technology.

Up until two years ago video cameras were only ever used to train drivers, and at £7,000 a time installing a 'third eye' on all front-line engines would have swallowed up vital resources.

As visual services manager of the county's Fire and Civil Defence Authority, Brian Saville's daunting task was to deliver a cut-price alternative with high quality sound and vision.

Mr Saville said: "We were looking for a camera which cost less than £2,000, was maintenance-free and not too tricky to operate - at the end of the day they are firefighters not television cameramen."

It seemed like an impossible task, but after a lot of searching he eventually discovered a piece of equipment from Canada called the Silent Witness - a hi-tech video camera which had been designed for use in military operations.

Mr Saville said: "It is simple to use and can be easily mounted anywhere on the appliance or a special piece of equipment such a ladder or hydraulic platform."

So far the cameras have been fitted to front-line appliances in Illingworth and Huddersfield, where the high-quality colour images have already helped to convict a young arsonist.

Thanks to a £10,0000 sponsorship deal with Cornhill Insurance, firefighters in Bradford are about to discover what all the fuss is about.

The brigade hopes the cameras will deter thugs from ambushing fire crews and bombarding them with sticks, bricks, bottle and stones. Although attacks on firefighters in Bradford are rare, the majority take place in areas of high deprivation.

A Fire Authority spokesman said: "Throwing stones at fire engines is a local sport in some areas of the city.

"There are certain parts of Bradford where we have to turn out two engines in response to a car fire because the vehicle may have been stolen and intentionally set alight to lure a crew to the area.

"In extreme cases, a civil disturbance for example, fire fighters are targeted just because they are wearing a uniform. And we have had one incident in West Yorkshire where someone stole the generator from an appliance which was parked up and dealing with a fire."

But cracking down on crime is just one of the benefits of having the hi-tech equipment on board. The footage will also prove a useful weapon when it comes to dealing with incidents.

Mr Saville explained: "At the moment incidents are recorded on to video tape, but we are planning to set up a live link which would enable us to beam the pictures back to a control room - and that would save a lot of time.

"For example, in the event of a chemical spillage, the appliance would be able focus in on the side of a tanker and our chemical experts would be able to see from the sign exactly what they were dealing with."

The Silent Witness camera can even be linked up to a thermal imager, and it is sophisticated enough to be able to pick out someone in a phone box while the appliance is driving past - a big weapon when dealing with hoax callers.

"This kind of technology can work for and against us. If we make a mistake it is all there on film, but we can also learn a lot," he said.

West Yorkshire has already been contacted by other authorities anxious to take advantage of the new technology, but by the time they get Silent Witness they will have a lot of catching up to do.

Mr Saville said: "Within 18 months I am confident of developing a hands-free system where pictures from a thermal imaging and video camera in the firefighter's helmet would be projected onto the plastic visor in front of their eyes.

"The next step is to set up a dedicated cable network and use it as a training device. The last thing firefighters want to do when they return from a shout is wade through mountains of paperwork. This way they can sit back, have a cuppa and watch the television."

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