Lithium Ion battery question

Joined
Jan 17, 2010
Messages
33
I have seen Haz Mat called because of Lithium Ion batteries. What are the protocols regarding the batteries?
This is new technology which necessitates new thinking.
Thanks in advance for your input.
jk
 
Joined
Dec 7, 2018
Messages
3,419
I have seen Haz Mat called because of Lithium Ion batteries. What are the protocols regarding the batteries?
This is new technology which necessitates new thinking.
Thanks in advance for your input.
jk
Can’t think of the solution they put it in at the moment but Hazmat / or HazTac Company will put it into a drum with the solution and have Hazmat Sanitation Pick it up. If it’s burning inside a apartment I Believe the protocol is to put it in a tub or sink and submerge it in water until hazmat arrives.
 
Joined
May 6, 2010
Messages
16,229
Back in the day in R*2 ( pre Haz Mat) we carried "G1" Powder.....it was a black graphite powder for metal Fires....you could not just dump it on a burning piece of metal as the metal would just continue to burn underneath & possibly thru the surface underneath ......the procedure was to place a bed of G1 down on an unaffected area then use a shovel to place the burning material on it & then put more G1 on top of it burying the burning material in it......I think possibly Haz Mat may carry G1 today ?......curious what the relationship of G1 to CellBlockEX is ?
 
Joined
Jun 22, 2007
Messages
5,754
Recently, myself and a couple of other guys heard from a retired member of a fire department in Florida.
As I remember, he grew up in the Bronx and might have been an FDNY Dispatcher for a short while before.

Even though he is now retired from the fire department, he is apparently still very active in teaching haz mat.
As I understand it, he has also taught FDNY chiefs at the Rock regarding fires involving lithium batteries

I had no idea the problems that these batteries could create when involved in fire.

In one case he showed a burning cell phone that took Two Dry Chemical Extinguishers, plus Two Pressurized Water (cans) to completely extinguish the fire.
When the fire seemed to be extinguished using those TWO Dry Chems, within a short period of time that small cellphone started to burn again.

As he pointed out, even though the fire was initially extinguished with the Dry Chem, the lithium batteries still held the the heat and reignited again.

As a buff, seeing the members trying to put out a tiny cellphone, my first impression would be;
"These guys can't put out a tiny cellphone burning" ! ! !
I understand now, after hearing this guy talk

He then went on to say it could happen with laptops etc, in the home and when the fire starts, these fires can produce four times the heat than normal.

He also talked about battery operated car fires and explained how the entire undercover was all lithium batteries and the huge problem this can be when it comes to extinguishing a car fire.
He mentioned that even after these car fires are put out, once towed from the scene, they must be stored separately for two (?) weeks as a precaution to prevent any exposure fires from occurring.
 
Joined
Jun 27, 2007
Messages
3,470
Recently, myself and a couple of other guys heard from a retired member of a fire department in Florida.
As I remember, he grew up in the Bronx and might have been an FDNY Dispatcher for a short while before.

Even though he is now retired from the fire department, he is apparently still very active in teaching haz mat.
As I understand it, he has also taught FDNY chiefs at the Rock regarding fires involving lithium batteries

I had no idea the problems that these batteries could create when involved in fire.

In one case he showed a burning cell phone that took Two Dry Chemical Extinguishers, plus Two Pressurized Water (cans) to completely extinguish the fire.
When the fire seemed to be extinguished using those TWO Dry Chems, within a short period of time that small cellphone started to burn again.

As he pointed out, even though the fire was initially extinguished with the Dry Chem, the lithium batteries still held the the heat and reignited again.

As a buff, seeing the members trying to put out a tiny cellphone, my first impression would be;
"These guys can't put out a tiny cellphone burning" ! ! !
I understand now, after hearing this guy talk

He then went on to say it could happen with laptops etc, in the home and when the fire starts, these fires can produce four times the heat than normal.

He also talked about battery operated car fires and explained how the entire undercover was all lithium batteries and the huge problem this can be when it comes to extinguishing a car fire.
He mentioned that even after these car fires are put out, once towed from the scene, they must be stored separately for two (?) weeks as a precaution to prevent any exposure fires from occurring.
I wonder how small volunteer departments will be able to handle these incidents?
 
Joined
Dec 7, 2018
Messages
3,419
I wonder how small volunteer departments will be able to handle these incidents?
Was talking to friends that are on hazmat companies in Bayonne and Jersey city and they haven’t had any yet and don’t have nothing to use for them yet! I sent them Cellblockex and they are going to see if they can get it
 
Joined
May 16, 2008
Messages
849
Look up Youtube vids of LI batteries exploding. You'll understand how they cause significant fires.

Some units carry Metal-X and Lith-X extinguishers.

SOP is to attempt submersion until HM1 arrives. And that doesn't always seem to work.
 
Joined
Apr 13, 2012
Messages
9,383
Was talking to friends that are on hazmat companies in Bayonne and Jersey city and they haven’t had any yet and don’t have nothing to use for them yet! I sent them Cellblockex and they are going to see if they can get it
Interesting how there have been no lithium ion battery fires just across the river/bay into those NJ cities. Understandably there is no city with NYC population density (which does play a factor, I’d say) but Bayonne and JC/Hudson County, NJ must be some of the more populated areas of the state. It’s almost as if the batteries only burn within NYC limits lol.
 
Joined
Dec 7, 2018
Messages
3,419
Interesting how there have been no lithium ion battery fires just across the river/bay into those NJ cities. Understandably there is no city with NYC population density (which does play a factor, I’d say) but Bayonne and JC/Hudson County, NJ must be some of the more populated areas of the state. It’s almost as if the batteries only burn within NYC limits lol.
Yeah I have friends on Jersey City and Bayonne Hazmat and haven’t had any yet. They respond county wide. Jersey city just doesn’t have a lot of the bodegas with delivery. (They have citi bikes) hahaha
 
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