Maine firefighters train to better handle electric vehicle fires
Dozens of firefighters are learning more about the new tech on Maine’s roads.
BRUNSWICK, Maine — With the rise of green energy, firefighters in Maine are looking to get a step ahead of new technology on the roads with an offered class on how to extinguish fires caused by electric vehicles.
Hosted by the Maine Fire Service Institute, dozens of firefighters from across the state took the time to attend the class in Brunswick on Saturday.
“I reflect back and vehicle fires were pretty basic back in the day,” MFSI Director Jim Graves said.
With the changes, instructor Ron Butler with the National Fire Protection Association walked firefighters through the different types of electric vehicles, how to safely cut power, the kinds of hazards folks should avoid, and more.
“We take away a few core principals… there’s a lot of information that’s given through these trainings,” Butler said. On top of the handful of hours of coursework, he also walked folks under the hood of EVs parked outside of MFSI that were borrowed through Darling’s.
As of 2023, there are close to 5,000 EV’s registered in Maine according to the U.S. Department of Energy. More are on the way as Gov. Janet Mills looks to increase the amount of EVs on the road by 2030.
As a result, Graves said Saturday’s training is being offered to help departments stay safe and up to date with the proper protocols surrounding the new tech in an emergency.
“There’s no national curriculum as of yet, which is one of the reasons why it’s been so slow [to adopt EV fire rescue trainings],” Graves said. “So what happens a lot in the fire service is new technologies, new products, come on the shelf or in the marketplace and the firefighters are unaware of them until there’s an emergency or two.”
A second training is scheduled to be held on April 28 in Bangor.
