DETROIT (WXYZ) — Local and regional fire departments learned more about how to put out fires in electrical vehicles this week in Detroit.
The technology is important because fires in electrical vehicles can burn much longer than ones in traditional vehicles.
One example is the Lifeline Firehose, which is a water hose that has an oxygen hose running through it, allowing a firefighter to tap into that oxygen instead of wearing a tank.
“It's especially useful for EV fires because they need copious amounts of water, a lot of water,” John Stafford with Lifeline Firehose said. "And this way, the firefighter can be on scene delivering water to that fire and not have to worry about running out of air.”
Firefighters across the Detroit area and the surrounding states were present at the event at Newlab at Michigan Central Station. Some from Ontario were also there to look at the different technologies they can take back to their own departments.
“Detroit is quickly becoming the epicenter of battery safety and emergency response to electric vehicles and energy storage systems,” Ron Butler with Energy Safety Storage Products International said.
Detroit Fire Department Chief Damon Robinson said, “So what you're looking at is the turtle fire system. It basically creates a water plume underneath the vehicle to help cool it down if there’s ever an EV fire for the vehicles out on the street.”
Robinson says the department is looking at investing into some of this technology because Detroit is becoming a bigger hub for electrical vehicles.
