ANGEL STREETER
Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)

Hybrid vehicles have become a common sight on roads and highways. And that concerns firefighters, who are increasingly coming across the gas-electric vehicles in accidents.

"The hybrids are very different from the cars we're used to," said Capt. Joe Nelson, a trainer with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue. "They have large batteries and high-voltage cables. Those are hazards our guys aren't used to dealing with."

Firefighters got a crash course Thursday in how to deal with the special hazards of rescuing people from crashed hybrids at the Pike Road training grounds west of West Palm Beach.

While hybrids are no more dangerous than other vehicles, they can present different challenges when extricating accident victims from them. The main concern is their high-voltage systems.

Cables running through hybrid cars can carry from 200 to 600 volts of electricity. They are cables firefighters want to avoid if they have to cut through a car to reach passengers.

Those cables are often bright orange or yellow, but not in all hybrids. Plus, the vehicles have different seat belts and airbags that firefights aren't accustomed to seeing, Nelson said.

Since hybrids were introduced earlier this decade, first responders have worked to gain better knowledge of the vehicles.

"First responders need to be trained on what's new or different," said Judy Moore, assistant communications director for the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium, which trains first responders throughout the country on how to safely handle hybrids.

At the fire-rescue training grounds, firefighters got a peek at a variety of hybrids in use today: a Cadillac Escalade, Toyota Prius, Palm Tran hybrid bus and a county bucket truck.

The Palm Tran bus has cables with 900 volts running through it, Nelson said. Plus, it has a large battery with 20 gallons of liquid potassium hydroxide. If it comes in contact with skin, it can cause severe burns. But vinegar and water can quickly neutralize the danger, Nelson said.

"There used to be only a couple of hybrids," Nelson said. "Now we're seeing different designs. We're seeing them in commercial vehicles. We'll adjust like everything else."

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June 19, 2009