NFPA Electric Vehicle Safety Training: Chevrolet Volt

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The National Fire Protection Association, Chevrolet and OnStar have partnered to educate first responders about electric vehicles, such as the new Chevrolet Volt. "Prior to the vehicle actually being available for sale, we're training first responders on how to work the Chevy Volt," stated Keith Schultz, Engineer for General Motors. Consultant for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Jason Emery, explained, "It's considered an extended range electric vehicle. It does have a gasoline generator onboard, but that is primarily for a backup, should you run out of battery power."

The Chevy Volt operates differently in comparison to propulsion systems in other vehicles. If you drive less than 40 miles per day, this vehicle can be purely electric and charged in a regular electric outlet. According to Keith Schultz, if you drive more than 40 miles per day, the Volt has extended range capability. A four cylinder engine under the hood automatically turns on as a generator to supply electricity to power the car, allowing the vehicle to continue to drive an additional 300 to 310 miles.

In their training, firefighters were shown what they need to know regarding the growing number of hybrid and electric vehicles hitting the roads. Firefighters were also introduced to the Chevy Volt and some of its unique features, such as the high voltage system. Schultz remarked, "The vehicle is an electric car.  It contains high voltage. To identify high voltage, we're using orange cabling.  That is an industry standard. Those cables, we're asking first responders not to cut. We have identified a low voltage cable, or 12-volt cable, that we're asking first responders to cut." That low voltage cable is located in the left side of the rear trunk area and is clearly marked where the firefighters should cut. It will shut down the high voltage system and the airbag system.

One other alternative for first responders is the manual service disconnect. "If they can't make the cut at the designated location that we have identified, we're asking first responders to remove the manual service disconnect that's in the center console, as an alternative to shutting down the propulsion voltage," said Schultz. The battery pack runs underneath the car and is sealed so that there is no increased risk of a shock hazard if the car is immersed in water.

Another challenge to firefighters is the high strength steel used in the Volt. Schultz explained, "This vehicle's structure contains in excess of 80% high strength steel. If their tooling can't cut the high strength steel, there are methods that still can be worked in order to extricate victims in a vehicle." This can post challenges to fire departments that are not equipped with the proper equipment needed to get to a victim trapped by a crash.

"The other aspect, which most responders might not think of, is the ability for the vehicle to move unexpectedly, because we tend to use the sound of the gassing engine to indicate to us whether or not the vehicle is operating." A hybrid or an electric vehicle could be in gear and ready to move, even though the engine isn't making any noise," added Emery.

Kevin Southerland, Training Officer with the Orange Fire Department and a class participant said, "This is not the first class that I've been to, but I'm appreciating the way that they package the information here. We're better prepared to provide extrication or render aid in any kind." Another participant, Fire Captain Ron Gutierrez of the Newport Beach Fire Department, stated that he, along with other members of his department, will now feel more comfortable when they come on scene of an accident where they have to deal with different features of hybrid and electric vehicles.

First responders are also shown all of these techniques in a take-home video. Schultz claimed that the feedback received on the training so far has been outstanding and that first responders certainly are appreciative of the value of the training received. Emery added, "What the NFPA is doing here with Chevrolet, in regards to the Volt, is a small part of a much larger program. There's going to be a web-based platform for departments that we train in that manner. There's also going to be an instructor-lead portion of it, so there will be some field work as well."

This allows any fire department, no matter how they train, to have access to material on these vehicles. All of this material will be available by late Spring on their website www.evsafetytraining.org.

Contributors to this story:
Barbara Brooks - Video Report
John DeYoe - Camera/Editing
Renee Marquart - Text Story




Author:Barbara Brooks - FDNNTV.com