Thermal cameras could come to more businesses
Imagine walking into a store or business and seeing your body temperature on a screen. That could be the new normal.
The Cermak grocery stores on Barclay Street and Miller Park Way in Milwaukee each have thermal graphic cameras that read the temperature of people walking into the stores.
A TV screen near the entrance shows the temperature of the person it scanned. It's a safety measure the store owners put in place to protect employees and customers from coronavirus transmission.
“If it's just scanning my temperature, I don't have a problem with it,” Daniel Breitbach, a customer, said. “If someone wants me to put my hand on a scanner, and it scans my fingerprints and stuff like that, then that's a little more intrusive, and I'm not all about that.”
Joe Marano, manager at the Cermak location on Barclay Street, said it took a few days to work out some of the kinks, but recently the system has been working.
“We see a lot of people really get a kick out of it,” Marano said. “Some people take pictures, some do selfies ... they kind of enjoy it.”
Marano said if a person comes in with a high temperature, as read by the system, he and another manager get an alert on their phone. They then ask the person to go through the system a second time. If the system still reads the person as a high temperature, they then use a handheld thermometer to verify the person's temperature.
So far they have only had to turn one person away.
“We don't want to ask anyone to leave if they don't have to,” Marano said.
The installation of the cameras was first reported by WISN and after the story aired, Marano said he has gotten a lot of interest from other businesses.
“We have been getting calls asking where we got it from and if they can get a contact number (for the business),” Marano said. “I think there's going to be a lot more people doing it. Not necessarily stores or grocery stores but offices and buildings, and stuff like that.”
There is one sign near the entrance that informs customers about the cameras but also states that it is not a medical device and cannot diagnose people with the coronavirus or any other illness.
Caitlin Sanfelippo, a shopper, didn't notice the camera when she walked in and said she would like a sign more prominently displayed.
“I think it would be nice to know ahead of time just for people to know that out of respect,” Sanfelippo said. “But I think it's a good idea.”
Marano said the owners of the Cermak decided on their own to install the system.
“The main purpose was for the safety of the employees, first, and then the customers,” Marano said. “If an employee is sick you definitely don't want them to stick around.”
Marano said the store has between 80 and 120 employees, and so far the employees have been receptive to the new system.
“They like knowing their own temperature,” Marano said. “A bunch of them have actually applauded the owners, too, because they know it's not cheap and they appreciate them doing that.”
Kathryn Conrad, a shopper, didn't notice the camera when she walked in but does not have a problem with it being there.
“There's no harm in a preventative measure,” Conrad said. “I don't think it's a violation of rights of any kind. I think it's just one more small thing that will help keep people safe.”
Conrad said she wouldn't have a problem if more businesses took similar action.
“I hope people are accepting measures like this very calmly and not considering it a violation of their rights,” Conrad said. “It's touchy stuff right now, and I'm trying to be very compassionate about that because even though we're fighting a common enemy, we're not having an identical experience.”