Hybrid safety course for first responders
Electrocution from hybrid electric vehicles a real danger for fire/rescue personnel
, Staff Writer
10-16-2009
Local first responders are used to dealing with patients, rescues and traffic control at automobile wrecks, but concern over getting electrocuted by one of the vehicles probably rarely – if ever – enters their minds.
However, the increasing number of hybrid electric vehicles on the nation’s roads could add the potential of a new element of danger at wreck scenes.
For that reason, Pulaski County’s NAPA Auto Parts stores are sponsoring a free “Hybrid First Responders Class” Tuesday, Oct. 20 for area law enforcement officers and fire/rescue personnel and volunteers. The 6 p.m. class will be held in the auditorium of Pulaski Middle School, and is also open to hybrid car owners, mechanics and other members of the public interested in learning how to safely deal with the automobiles.
Frank Gilbert, owner of the Dublin and Fairlawn NAPA stores, said he was surprised to learn of the danger hybrid electric vehicles can pose. He noted 40 volts of electricity can kill or “very badly injure” a person. Some hybrid vehicles operate at up to 330 volts.
“They (first responders) might try to push the car out of the road or try to get a person out of it. If they stick their hand in the wrong place, they might be gone (killed by electrocution),” Gilbert said.
It’s not uncommon for NAPA to offer classes, however they’re usually for automobile mechanics and address repair issues.
Besides those in Pulaski County, Gilbert said first responders from other counties such as Giles, Wythe, Carroll and Montgomery have been invited to attend the class. Law enforcement officers from Pulaski and Dublin police departments, Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office and Virginia State Police also are expected to be there.
The class will be taught by Duane Throckmorton of Ohio. Besides owning a hybrid vehicle, he is the hybrid specialist of among NAPA’s auto technician instructors.
Throckmorton has 29 years experience in the automotive industry, having owned his own shop for 10 years. He is a NATEF-certified team member, an ASE Master Automotive Technician and an L1 Master.
To register for the class, either call or visit the Fairlawn or Dublin NAPA stores.
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