Planck Vision Systems manufactures thermal imaging solutions for portable inspection and 24/7 monitoring of commercial applications including: Early Fire Detection, Manufacturing, Substations & Tunnels, Electrical Panel/Cabinets, Storage Facilities, Data Centers and Elevated Body Temperature Screening. Our company is headquartered in Santa Barbara CA, the capital of infrared sensing technologies in the United States. Founded in 2020, our design team has worked together for more than 15 years on thermal/visible camera systems and on products that are currently distributed worldwide.We specialized in working with our customers to meet the unique thermal imaging needs of their clients. Our proven systems have been installed globally in commercial applications for energy production and distribution, food production, transportation, industrial automation, and elevated body temperature (EBT) detection.
A new fire substation in Franklin years in the making is now operational.
After lingering in limbo following initial construction, the state came through with funding to complete the project after Sen. Kevin Corbin and Rep. Karl Gillespie, both Macon County natives, were able to procure what was needed.
Last week, the opening was made official during a ribbon cutting. At the short event, Mayor Jack Horton offered some words before snipping the ribbon. Horton, who did not run for reelection in November and will finish his eight years as mayor in less than a week, recalled that when he was first elected and sworn in December 2019, there were three hot topics that became priorities — the Women’s History Trail and the skatepark, both already completed, and the substation.
“Our fire department, our town board, and especially our legislative delegation, Senator Corbin and Representative Gillespie, have done yeomen’s work getting the funds to help us build this building and furnish it,” Horton said.
Beyond having a substation out of which firefighters will be able to respond to serious casualties, Horton pointed out that this will also lower Franklin Fire Department’s ISO rating, meaning residents will see a decrease in the homeowner insurance bills.
“We thank you, chief and the firemen, all the paid and all the volunteer firemen and all the support that the community has given to our fire department. We thank you, and we dedicate this today, not to ourselves, but to the people that we serve,” Horton said. “Public service in the public interest has always been my theme, and this is a good example. This is a good example of how that meets that goal today.”
The stationhouse, still sporting that new building aroma, features a large living area, full kitchen and several sleeping quarters which are set up like dorm rooms. Speaking with The Smoky Mountain News, Franklin Fire Chief Ben Ormond said that the station won’t be manned now, but it will be useful for larger events that play out over a longer period like a structure fire since it’s another place volunteers can arrive and gear up.
“One of the volunteers that lives on this side of town can just swing by here and grab the truck instead of having to drive all the way to Maple Street to get a fire apparatus,” he said.
While there is a large bay capable of housing multiple vehicles, at this point, there is only a pump truck at the substation. The goal is to get more trucks and, at some point, man the station so it can be used for immediate response.
“Now we’ll have room to grow into that,” Ormond said. “This is a big step toward the future for us.”
In addition, Ormond said there’s a plan in the works for which he’s already written a policy proposal that would create a “live-in program,” which would allow a few volunteers to live in the bunk rooms under certain rules and restrictions. The upside for the town is that the station will be staffed, the upside for the people participating in the live-in program is that they don’t have to pay rent and will enjoy stable housing.
When Ormond, originally from Greenville, first came into his current role in January 2021, the paperwork for the substation was done, the land located and a contractor to complete the job. A couple of months later, town leaders broke ground on the building. On March 14, 2023, there was a grand opening for the building itself, but at that point it was really just a shell of what one day would be an operational substation. Now it’s ready for full use.
“We had the three bays and this firewall, and all this was just open, and we weren’t really sure when or how we were going to get the funds to finish this,” Ormond said. “And then fortunately, our legislators, Rep. Gillespie and Sen. Corbin, were able to help us obtain a grant so that we could finish it. And now here we are.”
Thursday, December 11 • 3pm-6pm — Black Mountain (550 NC-9)
• Dynamite Roasting
• Sunburst Trout
• Hickory Nut Gap Meats
If you’re looking for some non-alcoholic beverage ideas for your holiday guests, here are some local ones to consider:
• Asheville Tea Company (Asheville NC) — look for their boxes of teas, particularly the seasonal blends.
Question: Can drinking tart cherry juice help with my knee pain due to osteoarthritis?
Answer: While tart cherry juice isn’t harmful, the research proof of its efficacy to reduce pain or inflammation due to arthritis just is not there.
Did you know that you can find locally roasted coffee (beans and ground and even some K-cups!) at Ingles Markets?
Be sure and look for these (and more) local coffee roasters at your Ingles Market, either on the local food shelf or on their own display:
© 2021 The Smoky Mountain News. All rights reserved. P.O. Box 629, Waynesville, NC 28786 • 828.452.4251
At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.
The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.
source
Planck Vision Systems manufactures thermal imaging solutions for portable inspection and 24/7 monitoring of commercial applications including