Charge Means Change in How Fire Departments Respond to School Bus Incidents

By Stacey Bruce, Leonard Bus Sales and Cornice Technology Vice President

With the enactment of the 2022-2023 New York State Budget, Governor Hochul’s vision of an all-electric school bus fleet has taken a giant step closer to reality. As school districts and transportation companies float bonds to purchase electric school buses, and build the required charging infrastructure, another set of challenges face our communities – namely, how do we respond to accidents and fires involving vehicles with extensive battery banks that do not respond to typical fire suppression techniques?

New York’s firefighters know how to respond to a fire or perform a rescue on the 47,000 diesel buses currently in service in New York. However, first responders’ training, procedures and equipment will need to evolve to reflect the transition from diesel to electric buses.

The first question emergency dispatchers should ask when fielding a vehicle accident call is whether any of the vehicles involved in the accident are electric vehicles. Unless first responders have had training with electric vehicles, they should not touch the vehicle and should wait until trained personnel are on scene.

First responders should also establish a local point of contact with experts in electric school buses, such as a technician or advisor, who can provide guidance as to the state of the vehicle(s) involved in the incident and recommendations on how to respond to the vehicle(s) condition.

The first question emergency dispatchers should ask when fielding a vehicle accident call is whether any of the vehicles involved in the accident are electric vehicles.

It is critical that first responders dealing with electric vehicles have proper PPE as identified in the eCE First Responder Manual. This equipment includes Class 0 electrical insulating gloves, safety goggles, and Electrical Hazard (EH) rated safety shoes or boots that are rated to a minimum of 1,000 volts. In addition, first responders will need to have a non-conductive object approximately 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length to safely push someone away from the electric vehicle in the event they accidentally make contact.

Access to a thermal or infrared camera will provide first responders with the ability to check the status of batteries and determine if they are at the specified safe (cold) temperature and whether the vehicle is at an increased risk for a thermal event. This determination will dictate if the vehicle should be quarantined rather than moved, and depending upon the determination, whether water should be applied to the vehicle until the batteries are determined to be safe.

It is imperative that this specialized equipment be inspected every day, before and after use, and be maintained as directed by the manufacturer. When responding to an electric vehicle incident, the very first thing that fire and rescue personnel should do is establish a quarantine zone around the vehicle of at least 50 feet and identify the nearest hydrants. First responders should have in their possession a digital or physical copy of first responder manuals  for the various electric school buses in operation so they can verify the different voltage systems and cutoff switch locations for that model electric bus.

If an electric vehicle fire occurs in an enclosed area, the vehicle should be moved to an open-air location as soon as it can be done safely as proper ventilation is necessary in case of a thermal event. Burning materials and off-gassing produce a noxious gas and SCBA respirators will be necessary to operate near the vehicle. Should an electric vehicle battery become compromised, or there is a thermal event, the battery can burn for hours. Once extinguished, there is still a risk of reignition up to several days later.

It is imperative that this specialized equipment be inspected every day, before and after use, and be maintained as directed by the manufacturer.

An electric vehicle involved in an incident should be moved to a predetermined and designated quarantine zone as quickly and safely as possible. While in transit, the compromised electric vehicle should be escorted by first responders who can access hydrants and establish a perimeter around the vehicle in the event of a battery ignition.

While electric school buses offer great potential in addressing vehicle emissions and air quality, they do come with unique safety considerations and challenges. With proper training and equipment, these risks can be mitigated to a large extent. The school transportation industry looks forward to a continued successful partnership with New York’s first responders to ensure the safety of the 2.3 million children who ride a yellow school bus each day in New York State.