In the past 8-10 years firefighters have been faced with yet another dangerous foe thanks to an ever-emerging technology. That foe, is batteries; especially Lithium-Ion batteries that are found everywhere from Vapes, Tools, Bikes, Scooters, Cars, and even your Amazon delivery vehicles. The way we combat these emergencies has changed and even the way we protect ourselves and the public. As the technology emerges, we handle them. 

On September 12th, Westminster hosted 17 responders from Westminster, Reese, Manchester, and DFEMS. An outside expert Hazardous Materials instructor was brought in to teach us what to expect, what to look for, and how to handle many of these emergencies. 

One of the more eye-opening things we learned about was the dangers of button batteries. These are the batteries that look like a coin but power your smaller electronics. There is a swallowing risk for small children. This may cause terrible burns inside a child’s throat and stomach. Students placed a battery inside of a hot dog during class and left it be. Several hours later, the battery was removed and the hot dog sliced open. We were able to visibly see burning to the hot dog! We encourage the public to properly store these batteries away from kids. 

The other big lesson taken away is to charge your E-Bikes, E-Scooters, and power tools outside of your home and never leave them plugged in when you leave or go to bed. 

Please continue to stay vigilant with your electronics just as we do with our training.