SENATE, No. 1687

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION

 

 

Sponsored by:

Senator  DECLAN J. O'SCANLON, JR.

District 13 (Monmouth)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator Zwicker

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires emergency medical technicians and firefighters to receive training concerning electric vehicle fires.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

  

An Act concerning emergency medical technician and firefighter training and supplementing Titles 52 and 26 of the Revised Statutes.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    a.         The Division of Fire Safety in the Department of Community Affairs, in consultation with the New Jersey Fire and Emergency Medical Services Institute, shall adopt a firefighter training course regarding the risks associated with electric vehicles and how to safely and effectively manage electric vehicle fires.

     b.    Each person, volunteer or paid, who is engaged in fire suppression, firefighting, or fire rescue before the effective date of this act shall, within 36 months of the effective date of this act, satisfactorily complete the training course developed under subsection a. of this section.

     c.     The Commissioner of Community Affairs shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to effectuate the purposes of this act.

 

     2.    a.  The Commissioner of Health, in consultation with the Commissioner of Human Services, the New Jersey Fire and Emergency Medical Services Institute, and the New Jersey State First Aid Council, shall adopt a training course for emergency medical technicians regarding the risks associated with electric vehicles and how to safely and effectively perform their duties when they are called to the scene of electric vehicle fires.

     b.    Prior to certification by the Department of Health, each emergency medical technician trained in basic life support as defined in section 1 of P.L.1985, c.351 (C.26:2K-21) shall be required to satisfactorily complete the training developed under subsection a. of this section.  Every emergency medical technician certified prior to the effective date of this act shall, within 36 months of the effective date of this act, satisfactorily complete the training course.

     c.     The Commissioner of Health shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to effectuate the purposes of this act.

 

     3.    This act shall take effect on the first day of the sixth month next following enactment but the Division of Fire Safety and the Commissioner of Health may take any anticipatory administrative action necessary to implement the provisions of this act.

STATEMENT

 

     This bill requires emergency medical technicians and firefighters within the State to be trained on the risks associated with electric vehicles and in the safe and effective management of electric vehicle fires.

     Under this bill, the Division of Fire Safety, in consultation with the New Jersey Fire and Emergency Medical Services Institute, will adopt a training course for firefighters.  The Commissioner of Health, in consultation with the Commissioner of Human Services, the New Jersey Fire and Emergency Medical Services Institute, and the New Jersey State First Aid Council, will adopt a training course for emergency medical technicians.

     For the last 20 years, there has been increased interest in and use of electric vehicles.  While the risk of an electric vehicle fire is low, managing an electric vehicle fire requires specialized training since a lithium-ion battery can burn hotter and for a longer period of time than a gasoline engine.