WMOK spoke with Metropolis Fire Chief Micah Tolbert earlier this month about upcoming New Car Technology training for the fire department sponsored by the Illinois Fire Service Institute.
Chief Tolbert told WMOK that they will have training on Saturday, March 25th which will cover hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles and the challenges they present when trying to extinguish a vehicle fire or extricate a driver or passenger from a vehicle.
Chief Tolbert said that electric vehicles aren’t like older vehicles in which cut the vehicle open without having to worry about high voltage electricity. In addition to that, the amount of water needed to put out a fire is greatly increased due to the high voltage electricity. Tolbert cited that electric vehicles and anything with a battery go into what’s called thermal runoff. Chief Tolbert discussed a recent fire in an apartment building in New York which became a five alarm fire – it started when a mobility scooter caught fire in the building.
Hear our conversation below:
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