Goodyear Wins National Award for Thermal Camera Pilot Program

The city of Goodyear's Public Works Department has been honored with the 2025 Best Safety Innovation Award by the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) for launching its groundbreaking pilot program that improves safety during trash truck fires.

Trash truck fires are on the rise nationwide and are often caused by lithium-ion and rechargeable batteries that have been improperly thrown in everyday household trash bins. These fires ignite quickly, spread rapidly and pose significant risks to truck drivers, first responders and residents.

In response to this growing issue, the city of Goodyear partnered with Seek Thermal to develop and install a thermal imaging camera system on solid waste trash trucks. The system monitors the hopper, the rear section where garbage is compacted and sounds an in-cab alarm if temperatures reach 200 degrees Fahrenheit. This early warning gives drivers more time to react by safely dumping dangerous loads away from neighborhoods, protecting staff and reducing damage to trucks.

"This award is a testament to the bold vision and innovative problem solving from our city employees," said City Manager Wynette Reed. "By tackling a growing challenge with forward thinking solutions, the city is not only serving our residents at the highest levels but also setting a standard for the rest of the country to follow."

Goodyear is the first city in the nation to pilot this technology specifically for trash truck fire detection. The initiative showcases strong cross-departmental collaboration, with the city's solid waste, fire, and fleet teams working together to identify the problem, research solutions, and implement the system.

"Innovation is one of Goodyear's core values, which guides us to rethink the way we work and to take action in making improvements," said Public Works Director Sumeet Mohan. "I am very proud of our Solid Waste and Fleet Maintenance divisions that collaborated on creating and developing this innovative system."

In addition to this pioneering technology, the city of Goodyear continues to educate residents on proper disposal of lithium-ion and rechargeable batteries by encouraging use of recycling centers or hazardous waste drop-off sites. Residents can find more information at goodyearaz.gov/hhw.