This Saturday at the Vermont Fire Academy up to twenty students will be learning how to respond to an emergency involving a gaseous fueled vehicle. What’s a gaseous fueled vehicle? Any vehicle powered by propane, natural gas, or hydrogen. The students will also learn about the infrastructure involved in fueling these vehicles such as fill stations.
“This training will prepare first responders to handle emergencies that involve vehicles powered by a gaseous fuels and their fueling stations” said Vermont Clean Cities Coordinator Michelle McCutcheon-Schour. “With many municipal fleets looking at these fuels, it’s important that first responders are prepared”. The training is being brought to Vermont through a five state New England grant provided by the US Department of Energy. The grant was designed to assist with removing barriers to implementing alternative fuels in the New England region.
First responders will have the opportunity to see various vehicles in person and to see how they would access different systems and identify problems that occur with accidents or fires. The newer gaseous fueled vehicles are no more dangerous than standard gasoline or diesel fueled vehicles but first responders may be unfamiliar with the different systems. This training will provide responders with information before an incident occurs so that they are not surprised in the field.
More information about the training and training registration can be found on the TRC Website.
The Vermont Clean Cities Coalition (VTCCC) was initiated in 2001. Past and present stakeholders are numerous and diverse consisting of both individuals and organizations. VTCCC activities have included maintaining information and databases, writing grant proposals, creating public awareness and interacting within the national network of Clean Cities programs.