05.1 EV Fire Training Resources
Resources & information
A host of interesting information about EV & other lithium ion battery fires exists online, some of which we link here for further reading. If you know of a document, website or video that would be of interest to emergency responders, please let us know.
Free volunteer emergency brigades info pack
Volunteer emergency responders are welcome to download this free presentation pack which contains a high level look at electric vehicles, EV fires, suppression & reignition risk. It also shows best practice examples from international fire agencies.
This pack is not designed as recommendations by the EV FireSafe team for the management of EV fires. Your agency SOPs should always be followed.
How to use this pack:
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Click on image below to open the pack in a second browser window
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Keep the evfiresafe.com website open in this window (the pack will refer you to pages & videos here)
EVFS Presentations
Recent presentations by our Project Director
AC, DC & HV...what happens when an EV catches fire while charging?
EV fires & emergency response
EV Fires Multi-Agency Information Pack for WA
SES Leadership Forum (June 2022)
CFA D14 Incident Management Tonight (24 May 2022)
Australian Fleet Managers Association Conference (Sydney 2022)
Fire Australia Conference (Melbourne 2022)
Langwarrin & Moorooduc CFA Brigades May 2022
Emergency responder online training & info
Electric vehicle & lithium battery info must-watch videos & must-do courses!
Lithium Ion Batteries – The Potential Hazards Facing Emergency Responders
Who: Professor Paul Christensen for Tyne & Wear Fire Rescue Service
Description: University of Newcastle Professor & electrochemistry expert discussing lithium ion battery knowledge & testing, including vapour cloud explosion.
Energy Safety - ISO 17840 (EV Emergency Response Guides)
Who: Kurt Vollmacher, Belgium firefighter & creator of ISO 17840
Description: Information for EV manufacturers & emergency responders about standardised ERGs & lithium battery incidents.
Battery fires knowledge for Fire Brigades 2022
Who: Utkiken Rescue (Sweden), PerOla Malmquist
Description: Excellent explainer video with battery thermal runaway clips by an experienced firefighter / fire engineer.
Alternative Fuel Vehicles Training Program for Emergency Responders Online Training.
Who: National Fire Protection Association (US)
Description: Online self-paced course covering alternative fuelled vehicles. Course cost is US$24.95. (Please note not all information may be applicable to Australia).
Lithium-Ion Battery Fires in Electric Vehicles - Safety Risks to Emergency Responders
Who: National Transport Safety Board (US)
Description: Discussion by leading investigators into EV battery fire incidents in the US, emergency response & important learnings.
Fire Service Considerations with Lithium Ion Battery ESS
Who: UL Fire Safety Academy (US)
Description: An excellent deep dive into the large scale battery energy storage system explosion & fire at Surprise, Arizona in 2019 from the first responders who were there.
Website sources & links
Sources used on this website are typically linked &/or credited within the website to this page or an external website.
02.1 EV Fire FAQs
Instituut Fysieke Veiligheid (Institute for Safety), The Netherlands. Incidents with alternative fuel vehicles factsheet.
Tesla Impact Report 2020 - Fire Safety
2020 Chinese Electric Vehicle Forum
03 - Electric vehicles
BBC News How our daily travel harms the planet
CNBC Are electric cars ‘green’? The answer is yes, but it’s complicated
03.1 EVs in Australia
Number of EVs in Australia & forecast from Electric Vehicle Council's State of Electric Vehicles 2021
Number of EVs globally & 2030 forecast from Statista.com
EV hotspot data created by EVFS from Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries & Australian Bureau of Statistics registration figures (2020)
03.5 Common EVs
Brands coming in 2022 from Electric Vehicle Council's State of Electric Vehicles 2021
03.6 Identifying an EV
Images kindly supplied by Steven Jamieson, Dr Alina Dini, John Storey.
04.1 EV fire global timeline
All images & information credited in timeline
04.2 What is thermal runaway?
Video - Watch lithium ion batteries in thermal runaway
Video - Watch a lithium ion batteries in thermal runaway with vapour cloud explosion
04.3 EV fire behaviour
Video - Watch: EV traction battery fire behaviour (volume on)