Bill would fund specialized training for first responders on lithium‑ion battery and EV fires

Representative Shelly Bosshardt Davis and officials from the Department of State Fire Marshal and the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) told the House Committee on Emergency Management, General Government and Veterans on March 27 that House Bill 3798 would fund statewide training to equip emergency responders for lithium‑ion battery and electric‑vehicle fires.

The bill’s summary on the committee agenda said it “requires the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training to collaborate with the State Fire Marshal to deliver training to emergency responders on responding to lithium ion batteries and electrical vehicle fires” and listed an appropriation of $1,100,000 of general funds. During testimony, sponsors and agency witnesses described a $1,000,000 appropriation in the bill text and said that amount is intended to develop training, purchase training props and equipment, and begin delivery.

“Lithium‑ion batteries can experience thermal runaway, a chain reaction that results in extreme heat, explosions, toxic gas emissions, and even oxygen generation,” a sponsor testified. Witnesses described several Oregon incidents they said demonstrate the need: a January 2025 arson that destroyed a Tesla in Salem; two separate lithium‑ion battery fires in August 2024 that displaced 11 Portland residents; a January electric‑bus fire in Josephine County that required a 24‑hour monitoring period to prevent reignition; and 21 lithium‑related fires reported at a Deschutes County landfill over three months.

Adam Meyer, legislative director for the State Fire Marshal’s office, said battery‑fire responses can require large resource commitments—he cited an example in which extinguishing an electric-bus fire used about 65,000 gallons of water—and can keep volunteer departments tied up for many hours. Meyer said OSFM has sponsored 11 basic battery‑response classes since 2021 and that 251 firefighters have received training through those classes. OSFM staff have also developed strategy-and-tactics modules that have been delivered only a few times, he said.

Kayla Balrot, fire program manager at DPSST, described how DPSST’s vehicle‑fire prop training has historically focused on combustion‑engine fires but that trainers have been incorporating EV‑response material. She told the committee DPSST takes no position on the bill but said if the appropriation is enacted the agency could deliver regionally focused training options in partnership with OSFM.

Committee members asked how the funding figure was developed; witnesses said the number was the result of agency coordination and that additional funds would expand training reach. No vote was taken. The committee opened and closed the public hearing on House Bill 3798 and did not advance the bill during the March 27 session.