EMS Education - Articles
Hybrid cars pose danger to EMT's
By
Aug 15, 2005, 12:11

Courtesy the EMS House of DeFrance http://www.defrance.org

Hybrid electric cars are growing in popularity, with some 200,000 already on the road in the United States. The number is expected to grow to two million in the next five years.

Consumers are attracted to them because of fuel economy and environmental benefits, but they present hazards for emergency responders.

EMT's are trained to focus on their patients, but hybrid gas/electric cars are creating a new challenge: high voltage.

Paramedic Dave Long says, "These cars are incredibly quiet, so we have to assume that the vehicle is always on and powered up."

Long is leading the charge to train EMT's on how to rescue victims from hybrids without risking electrocution.

”So we're dealing with anywhere from a 144 to over 500 volts. So we have to be very careful during rescue and extrication we don't cut into the high voltage orange cables."

Long fears the sheer silence of the hybrid engine could catch emergency workers off guard.

"Because we can not hear the electric motor. And if we were walking in front during a rescue or emergency or trying to help someone out in the car, the car could roll forward and we would not hear it."

Long's goal is to get responders up to speed on how to turn off the hybrids before the rescue begins, and how to locate the master disconnect switches for various models.

Recognizing a hybrid isn't always easy. The Ford Escape, for example, looks identical to its gas-powered counterpart. The same is true for the Toyota Highlander, so labeling is critical. At training seminars around the nation, EMT's are learning to look for those bright orange power cables.

"We know it's an electric vehicle because I see these high voltage orange cables actually coming out of the vehicle."

The demand for hybrid safety training will only rise considering the dealers can barely keep the cars on the lots these days.

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