Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Fire officials outline lithium-ion risks and response as New Bedford prepares to store electric school buses
Summary
Fire Department hazmat and operations staff presented the department's experience with lithium-ion battery incidents, described thermal runaway risks and mitigation steps, and reviewed resources and SOP updates as the city prepares to store electric school buses near school properties.
New Bedford fire and hazmat officials briefed the City Council Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods on March 11 about lithium-ion battery fires and the department's preparations as the city readies to store electric school buses.
Firefighter and hazmat coordinator Travis Rubello gave a presentation describing "thermal runaway," the process by which a damaged lithium-ion cell generates heat, off-gasses flammable and toxic gases and can ignite adjacent cells. Rubello showed committee members examples from local incidents and larger-scale cases in other jurisdictions in which a single damaged cell led to propagation across multiple battery packs.
"When…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
