Matt Stroud, president of MGS Tech and co-author of a series of articles on hybrid vehicles for Fire Engineering‘s Extrication Zone, discussed the preponderance of hybrid vehicles on the road today and the vastly increasing likelihood that firefighters and first responders would respond to incidents involving hybrid vehicles during his FDIC 2011 workshop. Stroud noted that in many cases the only indication that many vehicles are hybrids are the stickers on the exterior and talked about the real hazards firefighters face at hybrid incidents, such as the possibility of being struck by a vehicle that has not been immobilized.
“The ones that get you will be the fender benders where the vehicle is still running,” Stroud said. “Do you wanna be that guy? The ones in which you forget immobilization tactis are the ones that will get you.”
Stroud and MGS Tech’s Paul Bindon displayed a variety of vehicle components to the class, including a traction motor and a Chevy Volt lithium-ion battery pack. He encouraged students to think about these vehicles in the same way as regular fueled vehicles.
“Hybrids are around you all the time, you just don’t see ’em,” Stroud said. “They are everywhere.”
Stroud is a 23-year veteran of Toyota Motor Corporation, a Toyota-certified master diagnostic technician and an ASE certified master diagnostic technician, with 10 years certified in hybrid technology. He founded MGS TECH in 2007 with the goal to teach firefighters/EMS personnel how to safely manage hybrid and new technology vehicle incidents. Bindon is also an ASE Certified master auto technician with over 23 years experience in the automotive field.
