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The latter part of the class trains rescuers and technicians on the special guidelines needed for hybrid electric vehicles with high voltage battery systems. (http://www.moberlymonitor.com/articles/2007/02/12/news/news2.txt)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Hybrid_Safety_Class.jpgMoberly Monitor Index - Feb. 12, 2007

Fire Fighters attending class on hybrid automobile safety precautions for accident scenes.

Jefferson City, Mo. - Nearly 1,800 first responders across Missouri will attend vital training in February and early March on the safest way to respond to crashes involving hybrid electric vehicles and vehicles with advanced airbag systems. The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety is sponsoring the training.

“With hybrid cars and airbag safety features becoming more common, it's essential that our first responders to crash sites know how to handle the potential dangers of undeployed airbags and high-voltage vehicle battery systems,” says Bill Whitfield with the Missouri Highway Safety Division. “We have received such a tremendous response, with full rosters for each class. We will consider more trainings in the future to accommodate the growing interest.”

Dave Long, nationally known as “The Airbag Detective,” will deploy several live airbags and side airbags to educate first responders on the safest way to work around undeployed airbags.

“Airbags save lives, but undeployed airbags also present responders with serious issues when it comes to crashed vehicles,” says Long. More than 70 percent of new model vehicles have side or side curtain airbags in approximately eight different locations.

The latter part of the class trains rescuers and technicians on the special guidelines needed for hybrid electric vehicles with high voltage battery systems. A hybrid vehicle will be on display pending availability.

Long is a monthly columnist for EMSResponder.com and writer-author for Advanced Rescue Technology Magazine and Auto Glass Magazine.

Training dates and locations: February 28, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., St. Martins Knight of Columbus, 537 Route T, Jefferson City.

March 1, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Missouri National Guard Armory, 310 E. McKinsey, Moberly.

March 2, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., MoDOT Northeast District, Hwy. 61 South, Special Crews Bldg. (across from Missouri Visitors Center), Hannibal.

I work with a lady that is a first responder. Both her and her husband. They practice there craft in a small town south of Tulsa that likes to have Dallas type wrecks. They are either fender benders or death runs. Seems there is no middle ground.

She was real worried about hybrids. I spent a hour with her. Showed her some stuff on the net. And worked with her on some senerios.

Then low and behold we had Gary the owner of a FEH and another cust. in a HCH1 pull in. We were able to approach our cust. And use there cars for demos for her. Was really cool of them and her ablity to learn was way cool.... So much so she is trading her new... and I mean new Camry gasser for a TCH and take the hit. The tech. impressed her to no end. Armed with what I showed her on the net. And what she saw on the cars them selves and her natural spark of interest. I'm sure she will be a hybrid first responder teacher in short order.

Gary was so impressed with her mindful eye he volunteered to drive his new FEH at a better than needed speed at a rather bad curb to shake the poor car so bad as to prove to her the saftey systems built into the rig. He hit a curb so hard by our dock it shut down the gas and elect. supply's. I must say the FEH was no worse for the wear. And fired right up after he reset the system. We had to laugh... his words not mine. ( the saturn would have been a cripple after that ) I had to go back to work.

All the manufacturers hang all the first-responder guidelines
out on their OEM manual sites for free. Not only do they go
into the [relatively minor] hazards of hybrids and how to deal
with them, they've got nice overviews of each type.
.
Interestingly, many of these don't even mention the battery
cutoff switches or service-plugs; they just say make sure the
12V system is powered off and possibly disconnect one side
of the 12V battery, relying on the HV battery contactors to
do their thing.
.
_H*