FIFD adds the Turtle to its battery of firefighting tools

by Jane Ahrens, FishersIsland.net editor

The Turtle is for electric vehicle (EV) fires. It helps suppress the fire. Although it might not put it out completely, it enables the firefighters to put a lot of water on the fire. Interestingly, the turtle was designed by firemen to fill a need with the emergence of the EV sales increase in recent years.

According to Turtlefiresystems.com, “Fighting vehicle fires is inherently dangerous, but electric and hybrid vehicles pose additional challenges to responding crews.”

“As per NFPA guidelines and EV manufacturers’ Emergency Response Guides, firefighters are instructed to deliver copious amounts of water directly onto the battery case to prevent thermal runaway and aid in extinguishing the fire. However, with the majority of EV batteries located underneath the vehicle, it’s extremely difficult and demanding for manpower to use the nozzles currently available to the fire service.

The Turtle Fire System is engineered to operate safely, reliably, and effectively under a burning vehicle all while delivering 500+ GPM directly onto the battery cell.”

The Fishers Island Fire Department drill on Tuesday, August 27, tested the water power delivery via the Engine 1 truck and the time it took to empty the truck’s water storage supply. It was quite a show in the middle of the Village Green, and the firefighters learned how to deploy it if necessary.