Firefighters in New South Wales (NSW) will receive mandatory training to handle electric vehicle incidents amid rising lithium-ion battery fires and EV sales.
The state government announced the compulsory training after Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) responded to four separate lithium-ion battery fires on March 15.
Crews are handling an average of 5.7 blazes weekly after electric vehicle sales surged by 161 percent in 2023 to 87,217 sales.
Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said the training was about emergency responders expanding their skills to handle incidents involving EVs as they become more prevalent on the roads.
Over 65,000 emergency responders will learn risk identification, safe practices, firefighting and rescue techniques, and how to transport damaged EVs through online modules and in-person sessions in the coming months.
Mr. Dib said the free microskill course offers first responders a valuable opportunity to learn how to manage the incidents unique to electric vehicles.
“This partnership between FRNSW and TAFE NSW means our emergency response personnel are learning from the best,” he said.
FRNSW Tackled 63 Lithium-Ion Battery Fires
Most modern EV batteries are charged using an EV charging station, but this has raised concerns for FRNSW due to increased fires related to charging stations and batteries.FRNSW responded to 63 lithium-ion battery fires this year alone, with the latest incident involving nine fire trucks rushing to a Central Coast business on March 15, where an electric vehicle charging station caught fire.
Crews extinguished the blaze but established a secure perimeter around the business to prevent multiple lithium-ion truck batteries from igniting.
In a second incident that day, firefighters submerged a tradesman’s battery in water after it entered a process called “Thermal Runaway,” where the battery was overheating, emitting gases and at risk of exploding.
Batteries can overheat if used, charged, disposed of incorrectly, or damaged, which often happens when they are disposed of in garbage trucks and waste facilities.
In another two incidents, a fire ignited in the back of a garbage truck in Sydney’s west, and an e-bike caught fire on the third floor of a 10-story apartment building in Bankstown, Sydney’s south-west.
Crews found one of around 150 lithium-ion cells ablaze in the truck and extinguished the fire while more crews ventilated the building where the bike was located.
A person suffered a minor burn while attempting to remove the burning e-bike.
2 Deaths in Newcastle Home
The latest incidents come after two people died in a home in Newcastle from an exploding battery.“This appears to be what we have been fearing for a while now, a person or persons dying due to a lithium-ion battery-related fire in this state,” FRNSW Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said.
He described battery fires as fiercely intense and unpredictable, posing significant challenges for firefighters due to their extreme heat.
It prompted FRNSW to let the public know it was conducting its own research on crew training through an ongoing collaborative program called the Safety of Alternative and Renewable Energy Technologies (SARET), as lithium-ion batteries play a crucial role in Australia’s shift to net zero emissions.
The program, in partnership with international collaborators, will investigate how crews handle lithium-ion battery fires, manage hazards from old batteries, deal with indoor electric vehicle fires, and tackle fire spread in battery energy storage systems.
“We hope this research will be able to influence the future of lithium-ion battery safety and handling in Australia and beyond,” the state’s fire provision agency said.
Urgent Need for Enhanced Public Training
By 2026, houses are expected to have an average of 33 lithium-ion battery-powered devices, highlighting the growing need for improved training for the public, according to the Australia Competition Consumer Commission (ACCC).“Consumers should keep lithium-ion batteries out of household rubbish and check recyclemate.com.au and bcycle.com.au for information about safe disposal,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.
Environment Minister Penny Sharpe strongly urged the public to use dedicated battery recycling points to protect the environment and prevent potential hazards.
“More dedicated battery recycling points are popping up in shopping centres, office blocks, and many council facilities, so do the right thing and take them to a drop-off point for safe disposal,” she said.
Meanwhile, FRNSW’s commissioner urged people to only buy the batteries from trusted companies.
“If the price is too good to be true or there’s no recognised brand on the batteries, steer clear and ensure you’re shopping for a quality product.”
