Morro Bay installs thermal-imaging cameras equipped with AI to help fight fires

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The Morro Bay Fire Department will begin using cameras with automated AI-technology and long-range thermal detection systems to help catch fires sooner. 

The idea to install thermal imaging cameras in Morro Bay was born during a social event where Fire Chief Daniel McCrain was speaking with SYTIS representatives about its new fire detection technology. The San Luis Obispo company manufactures and develops thermal imagers and thermal systems appealing to utility companies and fire departments, particularly in California, in hopes of recognizing fire-related emergencies before they can cause excessive damage.

“The idea was intriguing, as adding something that could, you know, give us a leg up on detecting fires while they’re still small and getting that emergency response initiated quickly,” McCrain said. 

Morro Bay is likely the first fire department in the nation to implement a system that uses AI-powered, automated, long-range thermal detection for early wildfire and marine fire detection, according to McCrain. He added that the cameras can also detect individuals stuck on Morro Rock or even in unsafe areas in the water. 

SYTIS donated three cameras to the city. Two will be in fixed locations on opposite ends of Morro Bay—one at the water reclamation facility and the other at the water tank off Nutmeg Avenue—and the third will be mounted to the wildland fire engine, McCrain said.

“We determined what would give the best view of the city for our needs, and then just collaborated with SYTIS on what their technology was capable of, what it needed as a way of an installation site, and then we designed the systems to go for each location,” McCrain said. 

Troy Goss, SYTIS project manager and lead thermographer, is helping the Morro Bay Fire Department with installation and setup. He said the cameras are being incrementally deployed as the department works out the parameters of the cameras’ settings, like who to send alerts and images to.

AI is used as part of the automated detection system, according to Goss. The temperatures detected in the camera’s surroundings have to reach a certain threshold for the model to send out an alert. 

Firefighters routinely use small, handheld thermal imaging cameras as part of their personal protective equipment while searching for victims inside a fire, detecting heat to see if a fire is fully extinguished, and more, Chief McCrain said. However, this is their first time using cameras from SYTIS.

Since this is new technology for the Morro Bay department and they’re not sure how sensitive the cameras’ detection system will be, McCrain and Deputy Fire Chief Matthew Vierra will be the only ones with access to the camera systems. 

“I think it’s very exciting to be included in this new technology and just see where it goes,” McCrain said. “It’s just really exciting to be a part of that and curious to see what benefits our community can see from that.”

Fast facts

• San Luis Obispo County’s new Public Safety Communications Center held a ribbon cutting on Oct. 27 in Templeton. Jointly operated by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office and Cal Fire/SLO County Fire, the center replaces two outdated and overcrowded dispatch facilities with a modern, co-located center to enhance coordination, efficiency, and emergency response across the region. 

• The SLO Film Center – Palm Theatre is one of 41 organizations receiving Science on Screen grants worth up to $9,000 through the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Coolidge Corner Theatre. Science on Screen grant recipients are chosen based on the need for science-related programming in their community, according to the film center. The funding supports events that feature classic, cult, and documentary films matched with presentations by experts who discuss scientific, technological, or medical issues raised by the films. “We have three exciting screenings planned featuring local professors and scientists ranging from dunes to carnivorous plants,” Film Center Executive Director Skye McLennan said in a statement. Those details and dates will be shared “soon,” she said. ∆

Reach Intern Bella Cox at ntintern@newtimesslo.com.

This article appears in Oct 30 – Nov 9 2025.