The West Virginia University Extension Fire Service is bringing crucial training to first responders in the region with the Hybrid Electric Vehicle Training Educator (HEVTE). The HEVTE is a heavily modified hybrid vehicle used to demonstrate proper safety protocol for first responders in emergencies.
The HEVTE and related first responder training were developed by the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC) program under the WVU Institute for Sustainability and Energy Research (WISER). Recently, the NAFTC donated the HEVTE to the WVU Extension Fire Service to carry on the critical mission of first responder education.
Two years ago, the NAFTC’s electric vehicle training was updated in collaboration with the Fire Service to reflect changes in electric styles, which made the program the perfect candidate for this donation.
“Looking at all of our training uses of the HEVTE to date, we noted that first responder safety training has been our biggest request,” said Trina Wafle, NAFTC interim director and WISER assistant director. “The WVU Extension Fire Service is exactly the high-quality training organization that will put the HEVTE to its highest use — the protection of our first responders through the sharing of knowledge, and it will promote the NAFTC’s mission to advance the adoption of vehicles that operate with little or no-pollution.”
In rural West Virginia, the chance that first responders in that area are volunteers is high, with more than 90% of fire departments in the state consisting of volunteers. This kind of training is important so these volunteers can respond to all types of fires and accidents safely, saving lives as well as staying safe themselves.
“With a car wreck, there are different firefighting tactics needed to keep people safe in an electric versus a gas vehicle, because hybrid and electric vehicles have a large battery bank and electrical systems that vary greatly from a gas vehicle,” said Mark Lambert, director of the WVU Extension Fire Service. “As more electric and hybrid vehicles are on the road, that means more fire departments will be responding to incidents involving them, and it’s imperative that they be educated on the differences between the vehicles.”
With the HEVTE, the WVU Extension Fire Service can now expand the kinds of training offered, as the vehicle is portable and can be transported anywhere that training is needed. Fire Service instructors have already begun teaching these alternative fuel classes across West Virginia, as well as in New York, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas.
Earlier this year, the Fire Service team even got to take the HEVTE to Indianapolis for the Fire Department Instructors Conference, where 35,000 firefighters and instructors from all over the world gathered to learn and network. WVU Extension Fire Service instructors delivered a series of five classes on firefighting tactics for electric and hybrid vehicles, using the HEVTE.
Because electric and hybrid vehicles are relatively new compared to their gas-powered counterparts, it is much more difficult to find an electric vehicle to use for teaching demonstrations. That’s why the HEVTE is so useful, as it allows a unique opportunity for instruction that is hard to come by. Because it’s cut away, the instructor can show students exactly what is going on inside these vehicles, so they have a clear visual understanding of the potential hazards. With the rising popularity of electric and hybrid vehicles, this training is invaluable.
Contact the WVU Extension Fire Service at fireservice@mail.wvu.edu for more information on hybrid and electric vehicle training, or one of the many other training courses offered.
