Freehold Fire Department

For almost 150 years, the Freehold Volunteer Fire Department located in Monmouth County, New Jersey has been protecting the lives and property of Freehold Borough residents and providing mutual aid to surrounding municipalities. In 2018, over 500 calls for help were answered by the 100% volunteer department.

Funding for the department is provided through Freehold Borough and through generous donations from residents and businesses. Donations received are typically utilized for firehouse maintenance and upkeep projects that are not covered by the funding from the borough, as well as to purchase equipment, training and other items of need.

Although not a resident or business located in Freehold Borough, Impact Deposits Corp. has been a key funding source for the last couple of years. In 2017, the department was able to use the accumulated funds received from Impact Deposits Corp. to purchase a thermal imaging camera at the cost of approximately $8,500 to place on one of its fire engines. Operating on a limited budget from the borough made purchasing this tool nearly impossible without utilizing donations to do so.

Thermal imaging cameras can detect, or “see,” emitted heat energy through a variety of filters, including smoke and dust. They can also detect energy emitted through a door or wall, which indicates that they’re hot and that there’s most likely a lot of heat on the other side of the door or wall. Further, thermal imaging cameras can detect energy reflected off of water or mirrors, even though the heat may not actually be coming from those points.

Important: Although they’re called “cameras,” fire service thermal imaging cameras only detect differences in heat signatures. To date, this valuable piece of equipment has been put to use numerous times to locate hard to find fires as well as search for any potential victims who may be trapped.

Impact Deposits Corp. made this equipment purchase possible with your continuing support for our fire department.

Our sincere thanks to you and your organization.

John O’Grady
Captain
Freehold Fire Department