PSA for Rescue Personnel.
The last sentence pretty much puts a sock on the PC on this.
(I used to use the Jaws of Life to extricate wreck victims so I know very well about this issue)
If I was still on the force I would add a DVM to the strap on my Helmet.
5-4-2004
Rescue Workers Say Hybrid Cars a Danger
PHILADELPHIA - The growing popularity of hybrid vehicles is a step toward cleaner air and less dependance on gasoline. But for rescuers at accident scenes, they represent a potential new danger: a network of high-voltage circuitry that may require some precise cutting to save a trapped victim.
You don't want to go crushing anything with hydraulic tools," said Samuel Caroluzzi, an assistant chief with the Norristown Fire Department outside Philadelphia. "It's enough to kill you from what they're telling us in training."
The battery powering the electric motor carries as much as 500 volts, more than 40 times the strength of a standard battery.
The Alachua County Fire Rescue in Gainesville, Fla., even has two hybrids of its own. Although its crews haven't had to deal with a hybrid crash, they've been getting versed on what to do when it happens, said Cliff Chapman, assistant chief.
They know not to cut into a hybrid's doors ? that's where many of the cables are ? and to peel off the roof instead. They also now operate under the assumption that a car is energized, wearing rubber gloves and boots.
Manufacturers say they will continue to keep rescue personnel up to date on their hybrids. But they also contend that hybrids can be seen as safer than regular cars.
"Everybody's concerned about the electrical side, but could you imagine if we tried to bring gasoline out today as a motor fuel?" Peterson said.
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