An older thermal imager at the Minot Fire Department will be going to the Glenburn Fire Department, which lost almost all its equipment and vehicles in a fire last March.

The Minot City Council on Monday approved the donation. A number of fire departments have come to the aid of Glenburn, providing equipment to enable that department to continue providing services over the extended time it will take to replace its inventory.

THe Minot Fire Department’s thermal imager is functional but the technology and imaging is of lower quality than newer versions. The unit has not been in service for years, according to the department.

Thermal imagers have a variety of uses for fire departments, particularly in helping size up the scope of a fire or other hazard based on temperature, which improves firefighting safety and effectiveness. Imagers allow firefighters to detect heat and navigate in instances of smoke or darkness.