CHESTERFIELD,VA-Fire officials said three times a year, every company within Chesterfield Fire & EMS participates in required training on topics established for the entire department. Commonly referred to as Company Inservice Training, the topic for the Fall of 2022 was hazards associated with hybrid and electric vehicles (EV’s).

Officials said that EV’s are becoming more prevalent on the road every year. Unlike a gas combustion engine, firefighters face different challenges when lithium ion batteries are involved in a collision or vehicle fire. Since late August, companies have received training on how to recognize hybrid and electric vehicles, the dangers that they present in emergency situations, and how to mitigate the dangers to the occupants and responders.

According to officials, with EV fires, hose streams are directed to the bottom of the vehicle to cool the lithium ion batteries. These types of fires take significantly longer to extinguish than the average fire involving a combustion engine.