Cradle Beach Camp, a safe haven for disadvantaged children, is located on the shore of Lake Erie on Old Lake Shore Road in the Roat Acres area of Evans Center's Fire Protection District.

Dispatched for an alarm of fire around 6am, Evans Center responded with their Engine 1 and Second Assistant Fire Chief Bruce Green Jr. Their response was somewhat delayed by near white-out conditions and heavy winds due to a "storm in progress." An Asst. Chief and an engine from Lake Erie Beach responded also.

The site of previous false alarms, crews had to wait for a key holder to arrive and unlock the gates at the entrance to the camp. Once inside, their investigation lead them to a mechanical room that serves the "Jim Kelly House," a large multi-purpose structure that includes a kitchen, offices and a large mess hall. The building is named after former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly for his generous contributions to the camp and their programs.

The last room to be checked, Asst. Chief Green poked his head in the door and smelled smoke, but no smoke or fire was visible.

Green requested the crew from Engine 1 to bring in Evans Center's Argus Thermal Imaging Camera. Scanning the room, the camera detected excessive heat built up in a switch box that had shorted out. Had the wall box not been made of metal, the fire could have certainly worked it's way up the wall and spread from there. The metal gang box contained the damage.

Had it not been for the Thermal Imaging Camera, the investigation could have been delayed or the fire could have gone undetected. At an initial cost of $18,000 - this technology was a big investment for this small semi-rural department. The department and community's return on investment has been many times that amount in terms of saving both lives and property.