New Jersey gives first responders 36 months for EV fire training

In New Jersey, firefighters and emergency medical technicians would have to learn how to handle electric vehicle fires under a bill now in the works. The measure would require state agencies to create training focused on the risks tied to electric vehicles and on how to safely and effectively respond when they catch fire.

For firefighters, the Division of Fire Safety would have to adopt the course in consultation with the New Jersey Fire and Emergency Medical Services Institute. For EMTs, the Department of Health would have to adopt a separate course with help from the Commissioner of Human Services, the institute, and the New Jersey State First Aid Council.

What changes for current responders

The bill is not limited to new recruits. Anyone already working in fire suppression, firefighting, or fire rescue before the law takes effect would have 36 months to complete the firefighter course.

The same material would also be built into the Division of Fire Safety’s Firefighter 1 certification requirements. For EMTs trained in basic life support, the course would be required before certification. EMTs already certified before the law takes effect would also have 36 months to finish the training.

How the training would fit into state standards

The proposal would place electric vehicle fire response inside the state’s normal training system rather than treating it as an optional extra. State officials would also have to adopt rules to carry out the law.

That matters because electric vehicle fires can call for different tactics than the fires many responders are used to. The bill’s goal is to make sure firefighters and EMTs are trained before they are asked to respond to those scenes.