skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Saturday, February 22, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Senate adopts $340 billion budget blueprint for Trump's agenda after marathon vote; MI keeps EV charging plans on track despite federal cuts; Shore power bill would improve WA air quality, cut emissions; Report: Methane mitigation industry grows in LA, nationwide.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump wants to eliminate local governance in Washington, D.C., election denier Kash Patel is confirmed as FBI director, and federal cuts to the World Trade Center Health Program hurt ailing first responders.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Taos County Sheriff says he won't conduct raids or round ups of immigrants, New Hampshire worries a dearth of charging stations will force tourists driving EVs to pick another vacation destination, and Southern states improve education with workarounds.

Experts School IA Emergency Responders on EV Car Crashes

play audio
Play

Monday, April 24, 2023   

With more electric vehicles on the road, automakers are training emergency workers in best practices to respond to crashes involving the battery-powered cars and trucks. General Motors has just completed training first responders in the Midwest on specific things to watch out for.

The gasoline-powered internal combustion engine has been around for so long, emergency crews have always gone about responding to car crashes and fires in pretty much the same way, but it is changing as more electric vehicles are on the road.

General Motors has taken a hands-on approach to training emergency workers from Iowa and other Midwest states.

Joe McClaine, staff engineer for the automaker, said trainers are teaching emergency crews what things are different in electrified and hybrid engines, and some things to be aware of when arriving on the scene of an accident.

"A lot of first responders don't know that the industry has adopted the color orange to indicate potentially hazardous components or cabelings or things that we don't necessarily want them pulling on or cutting or that the batteries themselves are located low in the vehicle," McClaine outlined.

McClaine said orange labeling can warn of high-voltage cables or the presence of lithium-ion batteries powering the vehicle, some of which have been installed in places in the vehicle where rescue crews would not typically have to access, even during an emergency.

In addition to the hands-on training, McClaine said automakers also have made informational and rescue documents available online to help give first responders more in-depth training when there is not a crisis at hand.

McClaine noted emergency departments have continued to request more training as the number of electric vehicles grows.

"We are committed to making sure that they have the confidence and the wherewithal and the knowledge to interact with what will be an electrified future and dealing with vehicles in the very worst of situations," McClaine emphasized.

McClaine stressed makers of electric cars will continue to provide training as time and budget allow, but added as the number of electrified vehicles on the road increases, so will the need for additional training for rescue crews.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
According to a 2024 report, 74% of Montana families who received one form of income-based public assistance between 2016 and 2022 were single, aging or disabled adults with kids. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Today is National Caregivers Day, recognizing those who help friends or family members who are living with an illness, injury or disability. A 2024 …


Health and Wellness

play sound

The Alabama Senate has passed a bill which would give gun owners struggling with mental health challenges the option to voluntarily surrender their fi…

Health and Wellness

play sound

As the temperatures drop, some Georgians are feeling more than just the winter chill. Nearly 40% of Americans experience the seasonal mood changes …


Researchers are developing inductive charging technology that could allow EVs to charge without plugging in, using embedded road or parking pad systems. (Kalyakan/Adobe Stock)

play sound

Earlier this month, the Federal Highway Administration stopped new funding for electric vehicle charging stations under the National Electric Vehicle …

Social Issues

play sound

Antihunger advocates and relief organizations are gathering at New Mexico's State Capitol today as part of "Hunger Action Day." Advocates will urge l…

Nationwide, about 146 million American citizens do not have passports. About 153 million Americans cast a ballot in the 2024 presidential election, according to the Center for American Progress. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Legislation now in Congress could further complicate how Arizonans cast their ballots. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act would require a …

Environment

play sound

One researcher at the University of Nevada-Reno has developed what she called revolutionary sorghum varieties for dairy cow feed and gluten-free human…

Environment

play sound

If Minnesota wants a strong network of up-and-coming farmers, including those who want to farm on healthier land, the state can help them become …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021