Lithium-ion battery safety is the focus of Fire Prevention Week, which takes place from October 5 to 11. In Carstairs, firefighters recently trained on EV battery fires, while local departments plan public events. The Carstairs Fire Department recently completed an electric vehicle extrication course to prepare its crews for responding to lithium-ion incidents. Fire Prevention Officer Lieutenant Nick Swalm said the timing fit with the national theme. “October 5 to the 11th is Fire Prevention Week all across Canada, and this year’s theme is lithium-ion batteries,” he said. “There are these same lithium-ion batteries in our bikes and scooters and tablets and power tools, and so it was very timely and good to just look at that specific part of the technology.” Swalm said the department responds to “eight to 10 vehicle fires a year in our community and on our stretch of Highway 2, and then many more motor vehicle accidents on top of that.” He added, “We haven’t had any yet in our community [involving EVs], but we figure it is just a matter of time.” Swalm said that lithium-ion batteries can burn at extremely high temperatures. “The temperatures that they can generate are quite a bit higher. They can be up to 2000 degrees Celsius,” he said. He added that the newer technology also brings unexpected challenges. “Things that I hadn’t thought of before this course, things like accessing the occupants of the vehicle…so there are all sorts of other challenges that come with the newer technology.” Vehicle access was one of the main issues. “A lot of these newer vehicles just have a push button, door release. It’s all electric, and so if the power is lost, accessing the occupants and getting them safely out of the vehicle is a lot more challenging than a door with a manual door release like we’re used to,” Swalm said. Swalm said firefighters were shown multiple suppression approaches. “There is all sorts of technology that’s being sold out there, everything from fire blankets that go completely over the vehicle to piercing nozzles that pierce the battery itself and aim to flood the battery. With this training, we were learning that…they all have their downsides to each of those techniques,” he said. He explained crews may have to focus on surrounding hazards. “With the thermal runaway on the battery, it’s just going to be a matter of keeping everything around the vehicle from burning, and letting the battery run its course,” Swalm said. “If we use huge volumes of water and actually submerge them, then that technically [becomes] Dangerous Goods afterwards.” Swalm said the fires can persist even underwater. “Those can even go completely underwater and still be on fire as a result of what’s happening internally inside the battery,” he said. The Carstairs training was funded through Alberta’s fire services training grant. “We were able to get outside funding that was able to cover this training for our department for this weekend,” Swalm said. Kevin Patterson, owner and operator of Electric Vehicle Extrication (EV-X), provided the training. “We try to dispel some of the myths that are out there,” he said. “For fire services to assume every electric vehicle they attend to is going to have a fire, which is obviously not the case.” Patterson said demand has increased. “Alberta has kept me quite active,” he said. “I’ve been providing these courses for approximately four years throughout Canada. So there is definitely that uptick…members in these fire departments start to realize, hey, they actually are in our neighbourhoods.” He cautioned that no single method exists. “Unfortunately, commercially, there are some products that are available for the fire service to purchase, and they seem to think it’s the magic elixir…Unfortunately, that is not the case. There is no go-to method to deal with these vehicles, no follow a, b, c, d, and you’ve solved the problem,” Patterson said. Patterson said even NFPA is still working through the issue. “I was just at the NFPA [The National Fire Protection Association] conference in Las Vegas in June. And unfortunately, sometimes when we meet at these conferences, it tends to bring up more questions than answers. NFPA does not have a, this is the go to procedure to deal with these vehicles. But there is a process, and it’s quite lengthy,” he said. “So with my training, I start off with giving the firefighters an understanding of lithium ion batteries, and then we start working into other aspects of these electric vehicles, including extrication.” Patterson said manufacturers are also seeking solutions. “All the manufacturers are hoping that somebody comes up with the safest battery out there that doesn’t have problematic ignitions from impacts and so forth,” he said. “We’re kind of hoping that perhaps somebody does actually come up with a magic elixir as to what is going to be our go to.” He added that everyday device batteries create far more incidents than EVs. “In my course, I do cover lithium-ion battery-powered devices…we actually in the fire service see far more incidents involving those types of devices than we do EVs. Almost every fire department I go to…is seeing an uptick of incidents regarding lithium-ion batteries,” Patterson said. He illustrated the everyday presence of these batteries. “Can anybody tell me how many lithium-ion batteries they have in their household, or, let alone, on their person? That being their iPhones, that being their smart watches, all kinds of these devices,” he said. “The message really has to be we need to educate our residents, and this is where it starts, especially with these devices.” He said longer response times add to the challenge. “Unfortunately…the fire services…is finding this to be quite a challenge, not only dealing with it, but also the time that a fire service would have to spend on scene with these vehicles is quite a challenge as well,” Patterson said. “It’s not just our first responders. We also have our tow operators and our police officers or peace officers, who have to deal with these things, and it starts with educating our fire service, but they also have to pass that message on to our second responders, being our tow operators as well.” He also noted aviation has seen problems. “Look at the airlines, look at the uptick in incidents on board aircraft in recent years. That number is frightening, absolutely frightening,” Patterson said. Local fire departments are also using Fire Prevention Week to bring that message directly to residents with a series of open houses. In Airdrie, the Fire Department will host an open house at Chinook Winds Fire Station on Sunday, Oct. 5, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2525 Chinook Winds Drive SW. The free, family-friendly event will feature live firefighting demonstrations, a junior firefighter course, and a chance to sit inside a fire truck. Visitors can also learn about fire safety and fire prevention, meet mascot Sparky, the Fire Chief and firefighters, and enjoy games and activities. The first 500 people to complete a Dairy Queen safety passport will receive a Dilly Bar, sponsored by the Airdrie Dairy Queen. In Rocky View County, Deputy Fire Chief Bill Messner said the events provide an opportunity for residents to connect with the crews. “Fire Prevention Week is a great opportunity for residents to connect with our firefighters and learn practical steps they can take to keep their families and property safe,” he said in a news release. “With the increase in lithium-ion batteries in everything from tools to e-bikes, it’s more important than ever that people know how to handle them safely.” Rocky View County Fire Services will host open houses at multiple stations, inviting families to meet firefighters, explore equipment, and learn more about fire prevention. Collection bins will be available for recycling used lithium-ion batteries. Madden Fire Station – Saturday, Oct. 4, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Langdon Fire Station – Sunday, Oct. 5, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Irricana Fire Station – Tuesday, Oct. 7, 6–8 p.m. Elbow Valley, Springbank and Bearspaw – Wednesday, Oct. 8, 6–8 p.m. Carstairs Fire Department will hold its open house on Friday, Oct. 17, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Carstairs Fire Hall. The event, scheduled after the official Fire Prevention Week, will also launch the department’s 2026 recruitment drive. The National Fire Protection Association’s 2025 campaign is titled “Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home.” The campaign works to educate residents about using these batteries safely and stresses how important it is to buy, charge and recycle safely. The NFPA outlines three steps: Buy only listed products. When purchasing a product that utilizes a lithium-ion battery, look for a safety certification mark, such as UL, ETL, or CSA. This means it meets important safety standards. Charge devices safely. Always use the cords that came with the product to charge. Follow the instructions from the manufacturer. Buy new chargers from the manufacturer or one that the manufacturer has approved. Charge your device on a hard surface. Don’t overcharge your device. Unplug it or remove the battery when it’s fully charged. Recycle batteries responsibly. Don’t throw lithium-ion batteries in the trash or regular recycling bins because they could start a fire. Recycle your device or battery at a safe battery recycling location. Visit call2recycle.org to find a recycling spot near you. Sign up to get the latest local news headlines delivered directly to your inbox every afternoon. Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@discoverairdrie.com. You can also message and follow us on Twitter: @AIR1061FM. 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