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In a crisis, first responders rely on their experience and training to safely deal with dangerous situations. As the world moves toward a future where electric vehicles become mainstream, these men and women need new skills to cope with unfamiliar electrical and mechanical systems.
The risk of an EV fire from untrained people interacting with high voltage is a scary proposition. In the case of a highway accident, would the average first responder know how to safely shut off the power from a car battery? what about a fire in the garage where an EV is being charged; Possibly with 220 volts?
National Transportation Safety Board The (NTSB) is well aware that electric vehicles pose a danger to untrained response teams, repair crews, and passengers. The agency recently released a report titled “Safety Risks to Emergency Responders from Lithium-Ion Battery Fires in Electric Vehicles.”
The lengthy report includes several case studies and includes a section entitled “Guidance for Emergency Responders”.
This guidance includes:
Easy to understand battery disconnect procedures
Teams need access to understand how to disconnect the battery for specific vehicles.
fire extinguishing methods
The NTSB recommends using large amounts of water to extinguish the fire and to cool the battery.
Risk of thermal runaway and re-ignition
Emergency and repair crews need to take action to reduce the incidence of re-ignition, which can occur weeks after battery damage first occurred.
The process of releasing energy trapped in damaged batteries
Those involved in the recovery, repair and storage of damaged EVs need to deal with the energy stored in the battery, especially if external circuits and wiring are corroded or shorted out,
Drafting of Emergency Response Guides
Emergency guides should be in a standard format so first responders can quickly find the information they need with a minimum of searching.
Enhanced Guidance and Information Sharing
Vehicle manufacturers need to enhance their safety guides and manuals so firefighters and repair crews have a more thorough understanding of the proper repair and storage of damaged EVs.
Fire and emergency crews have decades of experience working on crippled vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines. Best practices for working safely around cars and trucks running on wasted gasoline are well established.
Many of these convoluted methods do not apply to electric vehicles. EVs require completely different measures in case of a wreck, fire or flood. Even highly experienced first responders will need training in the proper methods for handling EVs in an emergency. Failure to understand the intricacies of high voltage systems can lead to disaster for themselves, their employees and bystanders.
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