“Funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, Four Firefighters Injured In Lithium-Ion Battery Energy Storage System Explosion – Arizona is the first report issued as part of the Study of Firefighter Line of Duty Injuries and Near Misses.
This report details a deflagration incident at a 2.16 MWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system (ESS) facility in Surprise, Ariz. It provides a detailed technical account of the explosion and fire service response, along with recommendations on how to improve codes, standards, and emergency response training to better protect first responders, maintenance personnel and nearby communities.
This report is a first-of-its-kind research effort from FSRI to capture the experience of surviving firefighters to better understand a potentially devastating situation. Four career firefighters with specialized hazardous materials (HAZMAT) training were severely injured in the explosion. They recounted their experience to help inform the report, the investigation team’s understanding of how the fire and gases behaved, and subsequent recommendations for ESS safety training.”
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The Safety Research Insitute 29 July 2020.