Firefighter helmet cams have become more and more popular lately thanks to the advent of inexpensive small high quality rugged cameras. Fire departments across the world are deploying fire helmet cameras as a part of their efforts to improve safety training, advance investigations and educate the public. (Of course before you jump in and get a firefighter helmet camera yourself, be sure to check with your department to see what their official policy on body cams is.)
In this guide, we’ll run down the list of the best helmet mounted cameras for firefighters. Before we begin, here are a few key metrics to look out for when selecting a helmet camera for firefighting use:
- Size & weight: Every pound of gear counts and when you’re dealing with head-mounted equipment, lightness and size are key. Luckily many new cameras are featherweight compared to the weight of your fire helmet itself.
- Durability/ruggedness: Any type of camera is naturally going to be somewhat fragile but you’ll want to make sure you pick a model that’s designed to take a beating. Being heatproof/waterproof is also a must.
- Ease of use: The last thing you want to be doing is fiddling with a helmet camera while you’re in the middle of an emergency situation. Helmet cameras need to be easy to operate in all conditions.
- Quality of video: Getting good quality video in low light high contrast situations is notoriously difficult but many newer cameras have improved at this even in just the last few years.
The best fire helmet cameras & firefighter cameras
Fire Cam Onyx 4k Helmet Camera
The best of the Fire Cam line is their Onyx Helmet camera which offers up to 4K quality video. It’s marketed specifically towards firefighters and it’s heat tested up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit (almost 500 degrees Celsius). Like all the fire cameras listed in this article, the Fire Cam 4K has audio recording built in.
Like you would expect from any specialized fire camera, this unit is waterproof and it’s armored so it can really take a beating (or a fall). Comes with a memory card and a mounting attachment for a firefighter’s helmet (other mounts are also possible such as handlebar or windshield style mounts). Here’s a test of the footage that comes from this great high-quality 4K camera for firefighters:
Firecam Onyx Key Specs:
Video quality: Up to 4K resolution, 30 frames per second (1080P at 120fps or 60fps slow motion)
Weight: 4oz
Waterproof? Yes, up to 30 feet
Special Features? Photo mode, time/date stamp, time-lapse mode, auto power off, helmet mount, 32 GB microSD card, USB charging cable
See our related article on the best motorcycle helmet cameras.
The Fire Cam Mini is another camera marketed squarely at fire helmet use. This kit includes both the firefighter helmet cam itself as well as a BlackJack helmet mount. It records on standard micro SDHC memory cards (not included but here‘s the one we suggest). This firefighter camera is also specially heat tested for temperatures up to 900 degrees for short periods of time.
Here’s a video demonstrating the Fire Cam Mini quality in real life use:
FireCam Mini Key Specs:
Video quality: Up to 1080p at 30 frames per second
Weight: 3.4oz
Battery Life: 1 Hour per battery (comes with 2 rechargeable batteries)
Waterproof? Yes, up to 33 ft
Special Features? One of the lightest helmet cameras on the market
The bigger brother of the Fire Cam Mini, this model provides sharper video quality. Like its little brother model, it comes with a BlackJack helmet side mount. This larger and slightly more expensive firefighter helmet camera, however, offers better battery life (up to 2 hours). It records on standard micro SDHC memory cards and a 16 gigabyte card is included. Additional mounting options are available but sold separately. Comes with a Fire Cam warranty and an AC charger to recharge the 2 included batteries.
Here’s a video of the Fire Cam in use:
Fire Cam Mini Key Specs:
Video quality: Up to 1080p at 30 fps
Weight: 4 oz
Battery Life: Over 1 hour
Waterproof? Yes, up to 33 feet
Special Features? Has an option to record date & timestamp on video
If you’re looking for the absolute best quality helmet mounted camera, that award almost certainly goes to GoPro. Although they don’t specifically make cameras for firefighters, their quality is unmatched and they are often rugged enough for general use. The cube-shaped GoPro Session is an extremely light and small camera which you can pair with a detachable helmet mount. The GoPro Hero Session also features one button control which allows you to start recording extremely quickly.
Here’s a sample video from a firefighter using a GoPro camera in 2013. Keep in mind that GoPro’s visual quality has improved substantially in the past few years since this video was shot, but even back then it looked pretty good!
Although the company behind GoPro cameras does not offer official extreme temperature ratings (high or low), they warn that their cameras “will automatically shut off if operational temperatures exceed 125 F.” Having said that, there are still plenty of folks using GoPro cameras at extremely hot temperatures without issues (example).
GoPro Key Specs:
Video quality: Up to 4K, 30 frames per second or 1080p, 90 frames per second
Weight: 4.48 oz
Battery Life: Over 2 hours of continuous recording
Waterproof? Yes, up to 33 feet without a case
Special Features? Advanced video stabilization, works with phone app to watch videos anywhere, super wide field of view modes
Frequently asked questions about firefighter helmet cameras
Do these fire helmet cams take photos or just video?
All of these cameras for firefighters are capable of recording both video and still photos in different modes. Although the still resolution varies slightly, they’re all around 12 megapixels. Because of its larger sensor and lens size, the GoPro gets the best photo quality but the others are all fairly similar and comparable to each other.
Do these cameras for firefighters record audio too or just video with no sound?
All of these cameras record video with sound, which is useful to pick up what’s being said and also radio traffic if it’s loud enough. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that in loud environments the tiny microphones on these cameras may not be able to pick up exactly what’s being said 100% of the time. In the case of the Fire Cams, your camera’s microphone may be muted if you choose to use it with the included waterproof caps.
Do these firefighter cameras record in color or just black & white?
All of the cameras listed in this guide record in color, not black and white.
What is the point of high frame rate recording?
Several of the cameras on this list have the ability to record in high frame rates. High frame rate recording is generally defined as anything over 30 frames per second. For instance, many of these cameras record at 60 frames per second when they’re in 720p mode and the GoPro can record at a jaw-dropping 90 frames per second in 1080p mode. These high frame rate modes allow you to slow down the footage later on a computer and watch them to analyze exactly what is happening in silky smooth slow motion. This may be useful to fire departments in cases where actions were taken very quickly– too quickly to catch at a normal speed.
How do these cameras mount to a firefighter’s helmet?
Several of these cameras include the well-known BlackJack mount solution that is compatible with many firefighter helmets. Many of these cameras also have additional mounting options. The GoPro Session action camera also has quite a variety of additional mounting options and configurations.
Do these cameras come with memory cards?
Check each individual camera’s product page to see what’s included with it; some of these fire cameras include memory cards, others do not. All of the cameras for firefighters on this list record on standard micro SDHC memory cards. If you don’t already have some of these and your camera doesn’t come with one, here’s the model we recommend.