OTISFIELD – Fire Chief Garry Dyer told selectmen his department plans to request $5,750 for a grant to fund a thermal imaging camera.

Dyer said cameras awarded last year cost an estimated $17,000. He spoke during Thursday night’s board meeting.

The Cole Family Foundation will announce grant winners at the end of March and will hand out grants again in October. It plans to give out enough money to pay for 50 cameras, 25 in each grant period.

Casco was awarded a camera through the foundation and it was used in the house fire Sunday morning on Oak Hill Road.

“It really helped us put out hot spots,” Dyer said.

He said firefighters often find hot spots hours after a blaze is out. With the camera there were none to put out. The camera can also be used to locate people in a burning building.

“It is amazing,” Dyer said. “With that camera you can see through a black wall of smoke. You can see clear across a room.”

In other fire department business, Dyer told the board he does not plan to request funds for fire department payroll at town meeting this year. Last year during the annual town meeting in March, voters approved $50,000 to pay firefighters. This was the first time department personnel got paid for training time and at fire calls.

The department used $14,203 over nine months last year and $35,797 remains in the account. Dyer plans to use those funds to pay personnel this year.

Selectmen plan to include the article requesting funds for fire department personnel on the upcoming March annual town meeting warrant. They want an opportunity to explain what a great job the department has done.