Safety first

 

Goochland Fire Marshal Doug Davies

The Goochland Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) met in the county administration building on December 15. Established more than two decades ago to comply with federal regulations, the LEPC operates under Goochland Fire-Rescue and Emergency Services comprised of volunteers from local businesses, county agencies, citizens to create local emergency response mitigation strategies.

Robin Hillman, Emergency Management Coordinator, who oversees the LEPC, greeted the group.

Lithium-ion batteries

Goochland Fire Marshal Doug Davies discussed hazards posed by lithium-ion batteries, their safe use, storage and disposal. If not used properly, these batteries could catch on fire or explode.

If you are reading this on a smart phone or tablet, you are holding a lithium-ion battery in your hands. Their high energy density, small size, light weight, and fast charging capabilities enables them to power things ranging from smart phones to electric vehicles. They are a marvel of modern technology, but if not handled properly, they can pose a serious threat to health and property.

“Always use a charger that came with the device, and do not overcharge,” warned Davies. He conceded that most of us plug in a device and leave it overnight. This can lead to overcharging, which can result in the batteries igniting due to thermal runaway.

He suggested taking time to research products with lithium-ion batteries before buying. A stamp from a nationally recognized testing lab on the package means that the product meets important safety standards.

Always use the cables and charger that came with the product, or those approved by the manufactures rather than less expensive ones that claim to be “compatible” with your device.

Follow manufacturer charging instructions, charge on a hard surface, not a bed, pillow or couch, which could cause a fire. Unplug the device and charger when you are done.

Charge large devices like electric bikes, scooters, and power tools outside.

Keep batteries at room temperature when possible. Do not charge them at temperatures below 32 degrees or above 105 degrees. Do not leave devices sitting in the sun, this could also cause fire and explosion. If batteries are hot to the touch or show signs of wear, they should be moved away from anything that can burn and replaced. If you have concerns, call 911 for help in evaluating the situation

Lithium-ion battery fires grow fast, are very hot, and hard to extinguish. If there is a battery fire, do not put water on it, call 911, get outside and stay there. Fumes from these battery fires are very toxic.

Davies said that extinguishing this type of fire, which burns very hot, requires huge amounts of water. Fires in electric vehicles, whose batteries are underneath the chassis can burn for days as thermal runaway runs its course. Special fire blankets, which smother EV fires and bottle up toxic fumes, can be used in some situations.

Dispose of lithium-ion batteries at a battery recycling facility. Visit call2recycle.org to find a local battery recycling drop off. Do not put them in household trash as they could start a fire. Do not put discarded batteries in piles.

Code Red

Hillman said that “Code Red” the service that the county used to disseminate information about emergency situations, was victim of a nationwide cyber-attack earlier this year, after which Goochland stopped using it. In the event of an emergency, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management alert system will be used to communicate with the public. Beginning in the new year, Goochland will migrate all Code Red information to a new system, Everbridge, which will enable the county to deliver crucial emergency information via phone, text, and email to residents and businesses.

Power Outages

Adam Nesbitt, Supervisor at Dominion Energy Regional Operations Center in Richmond, explained that the power company keeps a forward looking eye on weather conditions to anticipate adverse weather and perform proactive damage assessments to position extra crews in an area before they are needed.

He said that 90 percent of the time Dominion does not know when power is out. Customer reports of outages are vital to restoration efforts. “The more calls we get, the more precise our response to prepare the damage is,” Nesbitt said. If there are no other issues, like cold weather, high winds, and ice on lines, power is typically restored in a 3-4 hour window.

During widespread outages, power restoration priority is given to hospitals, fire-rescue stations, and E911 centers. Lots of eyes are deployed to survey damage so that when crews arrive on scene, they know what they need to do,

Nesbitt said customers should go to https://www.dominionenergy.com/virginia/report-outage-or-emergency to report an outage and get information about restoration or download the app at https://www.dominionenergy.com/updates/dominion-energy-app