Marshall Lipstick Cameras Provide Vital Data in FM Fire Testing

FM, a leader in the commercial property insurance sector, has integrated Marshall Electronics CV228 Weatherproof Lipstick Cameras into its advanced burn labs to gather essential fire testing evidence.

Operating out of the world's largest Fire Technology Laboratory, the company performs sophisticated research into sprinkler efficiency, product safety, and bespoke risk assessments for its clients. By utilizing these robust cameras, FM can monitor intense fire scenarios in real time, helping to drive innovation in property protection and fire safety standards globally.

Unlike many insurers, FM takes a scientific, engineering-driven approach to risk. The company continuously leads innovation in fire protection through hands-on testing and analysis, which has led to several patents, which the company makes available for commercialization to improve property protection worldwide. FM's research directly shapes how businesses around the world safeguard property.

"Several years back we often used consumer-grade cameras, which forced us to constantly swap housings, recharge batteries and deal with Wi-Fi interference in an already signal-heavy lab environment," says Sam Space, Senior Multimedia Producer at FM. "The Marshall CV228 gave us what we were looking for: a small, affordable camera that we could hardwire via SDI into our recording system for continuous, high-quality video capture. That reliability is essential for tests that often run far longer than expected."

With its weatherproof design, wide-angle lens and robust metal housing, the Marshall CV228s allow FM researchers to place cameras directly into high-heat, high-water environments even as close as a foot from ignition sources. In many cases, the cameras survive multiple tests before eventually succumbing to fire or water.

"Often, it's the 30 seconds of footage before a camera is destroyed that tells the most important part of the story," adds Space. "We can position them closer than ever before, even swapping out their plastic lenses for glass lenses so they won't melt quickly under heat. That gives us perspectives on flame spread, sprinkler activation and fire behavior that we simply couldn't capture otherwise."

Inside FM's burn labs, movable ceilings rise up to 60 feet to mimic real-world storage arrangements, and Marshall CV228's lipstick cameras are mounted at multiple levels to monitor horizontal and vertical flame spread in the test array, which are critical factors in determining the result of many tests. The cameras feed directly into FM's recording system, eliminating fragmented video files and post-test stitching. Researchers can label and synchronize multiple views—ranging from infrared cameras to ceiling-mounted lipstick cameras—to generate a comprehensive dataset.

That video evidence isn't just for documentation; it is used in computer modeling and other analytical tools to help FM researchers give clients a better understanding of their unique or specific risks.
"With Marshall, we're not just relying on algorithms or actuarial tables," explains Space. "We're putting cameras in places no one else does—getting closer to the fire, capturing how flames move and sprinklers react in real time. That gives our clients science-backed insight into how to best protect their property. It's about protection and progress, not just numbers."

The Marshall cameras' affordability allows the lab to buy in bulk, often 20 cameras at a time. Researchers have developed custom mounts and clips that let them deploy cameras in tight spaces, capturing aisle-level and pallet-level burn behaviors.

"At FM, we're committed to helping clients prevent loss through science and innovation," adds Space. "The Marshall cameras allow us to push the boundaries of fire protection research. That insight translates directly into stronger safeguards for our clients and greater resilience for their businesses."

By relying on Marshall's CV228 Lipstick Cameras, FM ensures that even in the harshest fire conditions, valuable video evidence is captured and preserved, helping advance fire protection science and protect client operations worldwide.

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