National Fire Protection Association to Train at State Firefighting Academy
Friday, March 30, 2012 | 03:38am
NASHVILLE- First responders from Tennessee now have the opportunity to learn more about key guidelines for responding to emergency situations involving electric and hybrid vehicles. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy (TFACA) will host an electric vehicle safety training session for Tennessee’s first responders on today.
The course will be held at the TFACA in Bell Buckle and is part of NFPA’s Electric Vehicle Safety Training Project that was recently developed to prepare for the growing number of electric and hybrid vehicles on the roads today. The session will feature a live demonstration with a Chevrolet Volt provided by Stan McNabb Chevrolet.
The state-level, train-the-trainer course began touring state training systems in the summer of 2011. To date, training sessions have been completed in 26 states, with the goal of reaching first responders in all 50 states by the end of 2012. Participants in each state will be able to take what they have learned to prepare other first responders throughout the state.
“We are thrilled to bring the success of this nation-wide educational project to Tennessee,” said Roger C. Hawks, director at TFACA. “As electric vehicles continue to grow in popularity, we are confident that this training will equip attendees with the proper information to prepare firefighters throughout Tennessee on electric vehicle safety.”
For more than 100 years, NFPA has been a leading voice for public safety. The Electric Vehicle Safety Training Project is based on extensive research and findings from the Fire Protection Research Foundation. Since the launch of the project, NFPA has collaborated with top safety experts and automobile manufacturers to provide a comprehensive curriculum of up-to-date information on the topic.
According to NFPA President James M. Shannon, standardized electric vehicle education is critical to emergency training for first responders across the country.
“NFPA is supporting the large-scale introduction of electric vehicles by helping ensure that firefighters and first responders are familiar with any new car that is coming down the road,” said Shannon. “Our goal is to provide first responders with all of the information and materials
necessary to respond to emergency situations involving these vehicles.”
During the 8-hour course, NFPA instructor Chris Pepler will cover a variety of topics specific to both hybrid and electric vehicles, including the extrication process, risk of electric shock, handling new types of batteries and challenges presented by charging stations. Participants will be able to experience first-hand the new technologies and special features included in the electric vehicle.
In addition to the classroom experience and hands-on training, each participant will also receive an instructor’s guide, electric vehicle reference manual and a multimedia disc containing all of the course’s content, as well as a Certificate of Completion upon concluding the course.
For more information about the electric vehicle training series, including upcoming availability of an online training course and to register for upcoming sessions, visit: www.evsafetytraining.org
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About NFPA’s Electric Vehicle Safety Training Project
NFPA’s Electric Vehicle Safety Training project is a nationwide program designed to help firefighters and other first responders prepare for the growing number of electric vehicles on the road in the United States. The NFPA project, funded by a $4.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, provides first responders with information they need to most effectively deal with potential emergency situations involving electric vehicles. NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building and life safety. The mission of the international nonprofit organization founded in 1896 is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training and education. Visit NFPA’s website at www.nfpa.org for more information.
About the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy
Created by the Legislature in April 1996, the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy (TFACA) holds the training of state firefighters and the testing and certification of codes enforcement officials as its primary objectives. The academy’s unique dual curriculum and state-of-the-art training facilities are available to related industrial and commercial organizations, as well as out-of-state customers, establishing it as a regional center for the delivery of a full spectrum of emergency service, codes enforcement and first responder development courses. It is administratively attached to the Department of Commerce and Insurance, which works to protect consumers while ensuring fair competition for industries and professionals who do business in Tennessee. www.tn.gov/commerce/, @TNCommerceInsur (Twitter), http://on.fb.me/uFQwUZ (Facebook), http://bit.ly/ry1GyX (YouTube)