Category: 2023 Safety Stand Down

Baltimore County Fire Department in Towson, MD, is a combination department comprised of 2,000 members.

During the 2023 Safety Stand Down, they partnered with their hazardous materials (hazmat) team to provide daily training related to lithium-ion battery incidents. Due to the department’s unique shift configuration (2×10 hour days, 2×14 hour nights, four days off), they extended Safety Stand Down by one day to ensure all companies could participate equally.

During the two days each shift was scheduled, every company attended a 90-minute in-person training session. This included a 60-minute lecture and 30-minute hands on session demonstrating the importance of searching for batteries, as well as the mitigation tools that can be used to overpack compromised batteries.

The hazmat team taught four classes each day for eight days in a row, for a total of 32 classes. During night work, companies reviewed the department’s new standard operating procedures on lithium-ion battery response and participated in an online question and answer session.

To keep Safety Stand Down’s message top of mind, daily announcements were read over the dispatch channel during each change of shift throughout the week. The department also disseminated daily social media posts that focused on public safety relating to lithium-ion batteries. Their efforts did not go unnoticed — a local news station featured their story and training on the evening news.

While the 2023 Safety Stand Down may be over, Baltimore County Fire Department plans to continue, advance, and expand their commitment to firefighter health and safety. They look forward to participating in future Safety Stand Downs.

What did your department do for this year’s Safety Stand Down? Submit your story here.

Montgomery County (MD) Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) is a combination department comprised of 2,700 certified and trained career and volunteer responders. The department plans to utilize the 2023 Safety Stand Down to familiarize their members with the unique hazards lithium-ion batteries present, as well as communicate safety messages to the public.

“Phase One” of their plan is to distribute an informational flyer for line-up discussion on each shift, as well as a PDF from UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute that explains the science of fire and explosion hazards from lithium-ion batteries. Embedded in the PDF are links to online courses and instructional videos for further learning. Information will be discussed by battalion chiefs and safety officers while doing station rounds.

“Phase Two” of the plan is to coordinate with their public information officer to promote the Safety Stand Down campaign. They will provide content to media partners and distribute flyers to the community on lithium-ion battery safety. View their flyer on E-Bike and E-Scooter Safety and their flyer on Lithium-Ion Battery Safety for Consumers.

The dangers of lithium-ion batteries are not an unfamiliar concept to MCFRS; they are keenly aware of the unique hazards and have even outfitted units with special tools to fight electric vehicle fires. One of those tools is the Task Force Tips Transformer nozzle, which features a 40-inch extension and can be configured as a piercing nozzle or distributor nozzle for confined areas such as vehicle engine compartments or other concealed spaces.

Beyond lithium-ion batteries, the MCFRS promotes other health and safety initiatives throughout the year. MCFRS Capitan Rick Triplett developed the concept of “Wash-Your-Hood Sunday,” which has turned into a national initiative of the Firefighter Cancer Support Network. They also have a detailed post-incident decon and overhaul process that all members follow. Finally, MCFRS actively finds ways to improve and protect the health of its members – from providing cardiovascular and cancer screenings, to offering free in-house mental health services for members and their families.

The Madrid City Hall Fire Brigade, located in Spain, is a career department comprised of 1,500 members. They are proud to bring awareness of the 2023 Safety Stand Down to Spain to increase citizens’ knowledge about lithium-ion batteries and the unique risks they pose.

The department hopes to inform their community about how quickly the smoke from a lithium-ion battery fire can evolve and spread – which is why it’s essential to have high-functioning smoke detectors that can detect smoke and gases early.

This initiative fits in with the department’s ongoing efforts to increase community safety through innovative smoke alarm technology as well as fire prevention and life safety efforts that include building inspections and producing accident prevention guides for the elderly.