by Jennifer Hamilton, CaFCP Safety Officer

I’ve presented our Emergency Response (ER) Workshop and had vehicles on display at many firefighter events and workshops. Our presentation provides information for firefighters to use when a fuel cell vehicle has been in an accident, including suggestions and guidelines for extrication. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “can we cut it up?”, but workshop participants never had the opportunity to use their rescue tools on a fuel cell vehicle.

That recently changed. Hyundai-Kia provided a fuel cell vehicle for an extrication demonstration and hands-on exercise at the 2010 Corona Auto X, an annual event hosted by the Corona Firefighters' Association to train firefighters from across the Western United States to "remove a vehicle from a patient." (Extractors learn to cut the vehicle away from the person.)

The first day of this three-day event began with classroom training with presentations from L.N. Curtis & Sons, the company that provided the extrication tools and trainers. Students heard from medical experts about important considerations for the patients they are extricating, and finally I gave them the basics about hydrogen, the vehicles and response suggestions. CaFCP members provided on-road vehicles for static display during lunch. Many interested firefighters asked questions from the perspective of both an emergency responder and a future consumer.

In the afternoon, the firefighters donned their turnouts and, after some technique demos from the trainers, students broke out into “work stations.” Each work station was a different scenario with vehicles set up in precarious positions for the students to practice their art.

The last part of the day was the new vehicle technologies pit. Although I’ve seen extrication demos before, and even used the tools myself, this was particularly exciting because having the Hyundai fuel cell vehicle in the pit was a first. I had my camera ready to record every step.

First, the firefighters took stock of the vehicle components. As with every vehicle, they need to identify anything that might compromise the patients, themselves or their tools—from reinforced metals to the high-voltage cables. Next, they deflated the vehicles tires, stabilized it with blocks and jacks, punched out the windows and removed the windshield. In a real extrication, these are all tactics firefighters use to stabilize the vehicle and access the patient inside.

Then the team of firefighters used extrication tools to remove the hood and the doors. They did a dash roll (a.k.a. “jacking the dash”) by cutting strategic places so that they can push the steering wheel/dash away from a trapped patient. And finally, they removed the roof! These are all standard techniques used on any vehicle to remove the vehicle from the patient.

The whole process took less than an hour. This was, however, a training exercise and they practiced nearly every technique on this one vehicle. In “real life,” firefighters extricate patients as quickly, efficiently and carefully as possible. Extrication is a true art!

So what did the firefighters think was different about the fuel cell vehicle from a standard gasoline vehicle? Not much! That is the overall goal; practicing extrication on the Hyundai fuel cell vehicle helped firefighters to understand that the techniques and tools they already use will work on advanced technologies. It helps demystify fuel cell vehicles, an important step in commercialization.

This was definitely a highlight for the CaFCP ER program and for 2010! Many thanks to Auto X trainer Greg Rudiger of Corona Fire for helping secure the vehicle and its disposal, and to Hyundai-Kia for donating the vehicle!

Check out more pictures on our Flickr page!