Commission asks for stronger fire‑safety detail for battery storage sites

Fire and emergency access featured prominently in the hearing. Commissioners and staff repeatedly referred to fire‑code guidance and practical operational concerns about how emergency personnel would access, suppress and contain fires at battery storage sites.

John (a former fire chief) and other commissioners pressed for explicit entry and access standards, asking whether the county should require a lock box/knock box, concrete or rock pads in battery areas, and specifications for containment that mirror what fire professionals recommend. As one commissioner noted, "They usually have a knock box," reflecting the expectation that large commercial installations provide direct, prearranged access for emergency responders.

Beyond access, commissioners recommended tightening operational standards inside the battery compound: require non‑combustible material between battery units and around the perimeter, raise the unit spacing (the draft used 10 ft), and specify encasement or fire suppression standards consistent with lithium‑ion battery guidance used in other jurisdictions. Staff acknowledged some requirements are already codified in fire code but agreed to add explicit language to the zoning supplemental standards to ensure consistent plan review and enforcement.