Rural, suburban and urban firefighters increasingly have to deal with high-tech fires. That includes solar panels, car air bags and electric or hybrid vehicles. Each brings different problems to firefighters, paid or volunteer, because the issues are so different and complicated.
Solar panels on a roof can collapse on firefighters if the flames take out roof supports. Electric and hybrid cars have batteries that can overheat and burst.
Buffalo Fire Commissioner William Renaldo said the city is changing fire codes to deal with the possibilities.
"Number one, you have to have a disconnect on the exterior of the garage or the home. Firefighters are taught to look for that disconnect first. We disconnect and then go on from there," he said. "And it's also mandated to have a dirty side and a clean side. The dirty side meaning the side of the roof where the solar panels are mounted and the clean side where our firefighters can operate safely."
The Fire Department is supposed to be notified about solar panels on a building and about car chargers, although it's not clear builders and renovators are always getting the necessary permits. Registered panels and chargers mean dispatchers can tell firefighters rolling up on a scene about them.
County Commissioner of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Daniel Neaverth said most departments also now have field guides identifying the different types of vehicles. He said there are more issues than just looking for a fuel leak when firefighters approach a crash.
For example, there are concerns about putting water on the batteries of an electric car and it can be better just to cool them.
Neaverth said that's why the increased training for these higher-tech potential problems.
"It's really a matter of the continuing education, taking on that. The chief of the department, the chief of training within the department taking on that responsibility to advise folks," Neaverth said. "We went through the same and we continue to go through the same issue with air bags. New vehicles started with one air bag, two air bags. Now they have dozens of air bags, depending what vehicle you're talking about."
