Farmington Hills Fire Department receives equipment donation to fight EV fires
FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - As the world of electric vehicles grows, so do our efforts to change with the times.
The Farmington Hills Fire Department recently received a grant from AAA. The new roadway safety equipment includes six electric vehicle fire blankets, traffic safety vests, and an EV plug to shut off an electric vehicle involved in an accident.
In total, the agency received just over $10,000.
With a gas-powered vehicle fire, officials tell CBS News Detroit the department would use the entire water supply on a truck which is around 750 gallons. An EV could potentially require thousands.
"We may need a lot more water, thousands of gallons of water, to put out an EV fire," said Farmington Hills Marshal Jason Baloga.
The department says it has battled ev fires before, most recently dousing a prototype vehicle. First responders were able to get a handle on it quickly.
According to the Baloga, data is still being collected on the amount of EV fires state agencies respond to.
"We are all getting prepared to deal with EVs and the hazards that they most impose on society," Baloga said.
"Our fire department is continuing to adapt our response plans to meet the hazards associated with emerging electric vehicle technology," said Farmington Hills Fire Chief Jon Unruh. "As sales of electric and hybrid vehicles increase, the Fire Department will encounter more electric vehicles on our roadways, and we will be prepared to respond to these emergency scenes."
