Despite their demonstrated safety and efficiency, the new electric drive and alternative fuel vehicles that are becoming more common on America’s highways will inevitably be involved in highway accidents. When first responders are called to help, “there’s an app for that” thanks to experts at a West Virginia University (WVU) center.
“We’ve created a suite of modern technology products that puts the knowledge about specific electric drive and alternative fuel vehicles at the fingertips of the nation’s first responders,” says Al Ebron, executive director for the WVU-based National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC).
The NAFTC developed a free smartphone app—known in the iPhone and Google Play app stores as ”QRG,” which stands for quick reference guide—for first responders who need to access information about electric drive and alternative fuel vehicles at accident scenes. The app contains vehicle-specific information on electric drive vehicles such as hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery and fuel cell electric vehicles as well as vehicles powered by alternative fuels like biodiesel, natural gas and propane.
The Android app was released in April, while the iPhone and iPad friendly version was released in December.
A hard copy version of the QRG is available as a durable flipbook for emergency personnel to use at the scene of an accident. It details various makes and models of electric drive and alternative fuel vehicles, alerting first responders to such items as high-voltage cables and cut zones. This version of the QRG is available for a nominal cost.
The app is part of the NAFTC’s First Responder Safety Training curricula targeting firefighters, law enforcement officers, paramedics, emergency medical technicians and hazardous response officials.
Other offerings include instructor manuals, participant booklets and national training sessions. Online courses will be available later this year.
Visit www.naftc.wvu.edu or www.afvsafetytraining.com for more information.
