First Responder Safety for Alternative Fuel Vehicles

February 22, 2016

First Responder Safety for Alternative Fuel Vehicles

NFPA’s Alternative Fuel Vehicles Safety Training is designed to help emergency responders in each state prepare for the growing number of hybrid/electric, fuel cell, and gaseous fuel trucks, buses, commercial fleets, and passenger vehicles. With over 15 million of these vehicles on the road today, it is essential that responders have a solid understanding of safety concepts associated with this new technology.

Over the past six years, the program has been supported by all the major North American fire service organizations (IAFF, IAFC, NVFC, IFMA, NASFM, the Metro Fire Chiefs, USFA, and NAFTD), twelve respected electric/hybrid/fuel cell vehicle fire and-rescue subject matter experts, the Fire Protection Research Foundation, the US Department of Energy, Pacific Northwest National Labs, Argonne National Laboratories, two major law enforcement associations (IACP and NSA), the Society of Automotive Engineers, the US Department of Transportation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the American National Standards Institute, and the Towing and Recovery Association of America.

Training Offerings

Today the program offers a wide array of training materials including:

Alternative Fuel Vehicles Training Program – Self paced online training utilizing highly-interactive learning modules which include videos, graphics, 3D animations, simulations, and data review exercises. For full details on this training program, please visit:

Program Videos:

Classroom Alternative Fuel Vehicle Safety Training – Electric, hybrid, and fuel cell vehicle classroom curriculum available today, including buses and medium duty trucks. Soon to include Gaseous fuel safety modules. Available Summer 2016.

Alternative Fuel Vehicle Emergency Field Guide – This one-stop guide covers the vital aspects of electric, hybrid, fuel cell, gaseous fuels, and recharging/refueling infrastructure hazard awareness and procedures — including information from related NFPA codes, OEMs and new consistent Moditech Rescue Solutions® vehicle diagrams. Click here for the Field Guide.