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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 these batteries go into runaway, nothing stops it," Rubello said. "The only thing we can stop is the propagation and stopping that from going from cell to cell to cell." He described department steps taken for smaller batteries, including a containment and storage product (CellBlock) that allows the city to overpack damaged batteries for 60 days to monitor delayed runaways before recycling.
Chief Scott Krueger said the department already stocks response equipment, has trained hazmat technicians and works with New York City's hazmat division for guidance. Krueger described other mitigations being pursued, including specialized blankets to cover damaged EVs and reduce exposure spread; he said such blankets are expensive and may be considered for cost-recovery billing when deployed. He also said department SOPs for alternative-fuel vehicle fires will be revised to address concentrated storage of electric vehicles.
Councilors asked whether water supply and hydrant capacity were sufficient for a large battery fire involving multiple buses. Krueger said hydrants near the planned high-school storage site produce roughly 1,500 gallons per minute and that the department believes hydrant infrastructure would be adequate if mains are intact, while noting that large EV fires can require substantial water volumes.
Councilor Morad asked whether the department reviews permitting for large battery storage and charging installations; Krueger said building and electrical permitting is handled by other city departments and that the fire prevention bureau should be involved earlier in the review process. Councilors discussed public education; Rubello said he has delivered multi-hour trainings to regional fire departments and offered shorter presentations for the public.
The committee voted to take no further action after the briefing but directed staff to continue public education and to produce a presentation for councilors and the public on battery risks and response strategies.
