Lordstown firefighter Bill Kohn is dressed in his turnout gear that he would wear if battling a battery fire. Fire Chief Travis Eastham said the department has never put out a lithium battery fire and is concerned whether it has all the equipment needed to do so.

Local safety officials say the keys to battling a battery plant fire are good communication and preparation — knowing what works and what doesn’t — when faced with such an emergency.

Lordstown fire Chief Travis Eastham, however, says more needs to be known about the batteries — and someone needs to teach firefighters the best practices.

The village department, he said, has not put out a lithium battery fire. If there were such a fire at the Ultium Cells battery plant in Lordstown, or any other plant, the village fire department would be the one to respond, relying upon backup from area departments.

“If that battery plant were on fire, we would have backup from three-quarters of Trumbull County and half of Mahoning County,” Eastham said.

He is concerned about whether the fire department has all the equipment to fight a large battery fire.

The fire chief said he has been working with John Hickey, Trumbull County Emergency Management Agency director, and trying to get state legislators involved.

“The thought in our minds is, if they are going to call this ‘Voltage Valley’ and we are going to have these battery plants and electric vehicle plants, we should be leading the way on how to handle any emergencies,” Eastham said.

“When it comes to training, what is needed is funding. A lot of fire departments can’t afford that — especially in this area.”

Practice is key to being prepared, he noted.

“We should be teaching other departments around the country how to handle these,” Eastham said.

He said what fire departments know about such fires is what can be found on the internet and being self-taught.

WANTS BATTERIES

Eastham also led the state fire marshals through the Ultium Cells plant last year to get an understanding of the facility and to see the way the batteries are manufactured.

“I’m trying to get some defective batteries to be able to burn them and see what we can do to put them out using different methods. We can see the best ways to put out battery fires,” Eastham said, noting he awaits response from the Ultium plant, where batteries are brought here and assembled.

“We need someone to teach us how to deal with these batteries if there is a fire, and the best safety practices to have in place,” Eastham said.

He said one issue is inside the batteries: A fluid called electrolytes with the solution containing hydrofluoric acid. He said if someone gets it on the skin and is not neutralized with calcium gluconate, it will eat through to the bone.

“My concern is even with firefighters putting out a car fire, and they get splashed with electrolyte solution on their arms, skin or eyes. We have to have ways to treat it,” he said.

As long as everyone makes it out of a fire alive, he will worry about the building later.

“Human life safety is first. Property second,” he said.

EMA DIRECTOR

Hickey said the Trumbull EMA is working with Ultium Cells to lay the groundwork to have a safety plan in place. Discussions are planned April 20 at the plant.

He said the key is partnerships and communication.

“If there was an emergency at the plant involving chemical spills, the health department, emergency management agency and fire departments need to know what to do,” Hickey said.

“We are working on getting the ball rolling and working on plan over the next few years.”

He said Ultium Cells officials have been cooperative, with further discussions planned at the plant next month.

Exercises and prepreparation will be planned to prepare for a battery fire, chemical spill or any type of emergency at a local plant, he explained.

Hickey said a practice involving “full-scale emergency situation” with rescue and transport to the hospital will be set following talks with company officials and fire officials.

NEED FOR WATER

Eastham said the only new tool he suggests to help with a battery fire would be a F500 encapsulator agent. Such an agent extends the water flow. He said, for example, if a battery fire needed 100,000 gallons of water, it might only take 50,000 gallons with an encapsulator agent.

“It helps break down the water molecules and helps them to last longer — and enables you to use less water to do the same job,” he explained. “We do not have an endless supply of water. That was one of the only things we could find research-wise on battling a battery fire. I say we need this and they (Ultium) say we don’t,” he said.

A spokeswoman for Ultium Cells said the company would not comment.

Ultium Cells is involved, however, in the Local Emergency Planning Committee. Last October, its safety team and on-site fire chief employed by Ultium Cells held an on-site battery cell fire extinguisher training with the Lordstown Fire Department.

The company also provided the local fire department additional training as well as facility construction and layout information for the site to ensure first responders and the public are protected.

The plant is equipped with a gas detection, advanced fire suppression system, including fire-rated walls, and fire sprinkler system.

BRITE

INVOLVEMENT

Sara Daugherty, chief of staff with BRITE Energy Innovators, based in Warren, said while it does not offer training in handling such emergencies, the organization’s expertise is “nationally involved to help determine what training is needed, and we assist companies that are providing solutions to companies such as Ultium and firefighting.”

Staff from BRITE attended a national conference this year in Phoenix on battery safety and manufacturing.

“There is a national agenda being recognized by the Department of Labor through the Department of Energy. There is discussion on funding for emergency management agencies and fire departments to receive training,” she said.

Daugherty said that in the western United States online training has been available for fire departments and shows what is the best technology, resources and equipment for battery fires.

“There is focus on inspections and quality control and demonstrations,” Daugherty said.

BRITE is working with Youngstown State University Workforce Innovation Training Center to have those on staff, who went to the training, provide information to workforce providers to and seek federal funding to provide the training.

FIRE MARSHAL

Andy Ellinger, public information officer with Ohio Department of Commerce, said because Ohio is a home-rule state, each community legally is considered to be the “authority having jurisdiction” and the emergency preparedness responsibility falls to each community to be ready as it sees fit — based on the specific hazards in their community.

“Training and being prepared is a nationwide challenge that the fire service as a whole is still working to fully understand,” Ellinger said. “Every new technology creates unique challenges for the fire service. Lithium-ion batteries are considered safe to use, but with growing usage from millions of consumers and businesses, failure is bound to happen.”

Ellinger said the state fire marshal’s office has developed safety guides on lithium-ion battery fire suppression recommendations. These have been sent to all of Ohio’s fire service.