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LAFD warns lithium‑ion incidents rising; seeks hazmat staffing, new tools and budgeted positions
Summary
Los Angeles Fire Department told the Public Safety Committee it has seen a 100% increase in lithium‑ion battery incidents this year and asked the City to fund permanent hazmat staffing, a battalion-level alternative fuels response vehicle and continued training and equipment testing.
Captain Rich Thompson, a Hazmat officer with the Los Angeles Fire Department, told the City of Los Angeles Public Safety Committee on Sept. 17 that the department has seen a doubling of lithium‑ion battery incidents this year and is asking the city to fund more specialized staffing and equipment to respond to fires involving electric vehicles, e‑mobility devices and battery storage systems.
Thompson said the department’s Hazmat teams now use multi‑gas meters, photoionization detectors, advanced thermal imagers, specialized battery extraction tools and fire‑resistant containers to remove and secure burning batteries. “Sometimes… the safest practice and the best practice is to let it fully burn itself out,” Thompson said, describing cases in which lithium‑ion batteries repeatedly rekindle even after firefighting efforts.
The department’s report, requested by Councilmember Rodriguez, notes state and local shifts that will increase…
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