North Kingstown Fire Chief John G. Linacre Jr. said the hazards of electric and hybrid vehicle fires from batteries pose a new challenge to firefighters and he supports a recently-passed legislative measure to help track these vehicles.
The Rhode Island House of Representatives has approved legislation that would create a statewide database of electric and hybrid vehicles to help firefighters identify and respond to battery fires, though at least one local fire chief says questions about how the system would work in practice remain unanswered.
“The ability to notify responding apparatus of potential hazards, helps firefighters make tactical decisions and makes them aware of potential safety hazards,” Linacre said, adding that his department has not yet confronted them directly. In North Kingstown, to the best of his knowledge, the department has not responded to any hybrid or electric vehicle fires
The bill, introduced by Rep. Earl A. Read III (D-Dist. 26, Coventry, West Warwick, Warwick), would direct the state fire marshal — in conjunction with the Division of Motor Vehicles — to create and maintain a vehicle identification database for electric or hybrid motor vehicles powered in whole or in part by a high-voltage lithium-ion storage battery.
“Electric vehicle fires can pose unique challenges to firefighters,” said Read, a retired Warwick police officer.
“The intense heat, prolonged burn times and release of toxic gases, such as hydrogen fluoride, require specialized hazard tactics from fire departments. This legislation would create a system of communication between the DMV and fire departments, helping firefighters know where these vehicles are located,” he said.
Under the bill, the fire marshal’s office would supply the DMV with a registry list, which the division would then transmit directly to the fire department serving the address of each vehicle owner. The information would be limited to the vehicle’s make, model, year, and the address of the structure where it is kept.
Electric vehicle fires present hazards that go beyond conventional car fires, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The potential for hidden, delayed thermal events after crashes creates risks of electric shock and environmental contamination for first responders.
The measure moves next to the Senate, where a companion bill has been introduced by Sen. John Burke (D-Dist. 9, West Warwick).
Linacre said the database could be most useful not at a fire scene but at the dispatch level, where information about a vehicle’s type can be relayed to crews before they arrive.
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