Local law enforcement training with handheld FLIR technology

WEAKLEY COUNTY, Tenn. — One local agency is using cutting edge technology to help save lives, one look at a time.

“If the weather is inclement, or if there is a medical issue with the person we are looking for, then time is life,” Weakley County EMA Director Jamison Peevyhouse said. “So the gear that we have focuses on thermal changes between the environment and objects in the environment so people or animals.”

It i’s very similar to FLIR, or Forward Looking Infrared Technology. Most commonly used in helicopters, like the ones the Tennessee Highway Patrol uses.

But instead of only being able to have a bird’s eye view, now law enforcement can go where they could not before.

“The helicopter can see through most conditions but if it’s inclement weather, high winds, thunderstorms, they are not allowed to fly. But secondly there is some areas that helicopters can not see into. Really dense pine, masks all the heat signatures,” Peevyhouse said.

Sometimes flying a helicopter is not always the best option, but with this handheld gear you can see more than 500 yards in the dark and get in places helicopters cannot.

“Night vision enhances a light that is already there in the environment. FLIR allows us to see in pitch black, or even through smoke and see the differences between the temperature of a person, an animal, or just the background environment,” Peevyhouse said.

It is extremely mobile and can be used by an entire team, or a solo tracker.

“A single person can deploy this equipment and it can be just as effective as a helicopter,” tracker Ray Wiggington said.

This new gear is shared by multiple agencies in Weakley County, and can be used to assist in emergencies in the area.

Officials said the gear does not just help find and locate, but to find and protect.

“Say you’re chasing a suspect and it’s a low light situation, it’s kind of hard to tell what’s in that subjects hand. You pull out that FLIR unit and you might see him pointing something at you or you might see him running further away,” Deputy James Sanders said.

But most importantly, this new unit will help save lives.

“Missing persons are an emergency, anytime we can shave off time for response or search areas or try to narrow down our focus of where we are searching at we can more quickly find that person and get them the help that they need,” Peevyhouse said.

The Weakley County EMA has a partnership with the Naval Warfare Research Center and plans to add more gear throughout the year.