Development of a Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Vehicle Emergency Response National Template

The California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP) is currently working with key stakeholders, like the US Department of Energy (DOE) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), to develop a national template for educating and training first responders about hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles (FCV) and hydrogen fueling infrastructure. Currently, there are several existing programs that either have some related FCV/hydrogen material, or have plans to incorporate this in the future. To create a robust national emergency responder (ER) program, the strongest elements from these existing programs are considered for incorporation into the template. Working with the key stakeholders, the national template will be evaluated on a regular basis to ensure accurate and up to date information and resources, and effective teaching techniques for the emergency response community. This paper describes the evaluation process, discusses elements of the template, and reports on the steps and progress to implementation; all in the effort to effectively support the emergency response community as hydrogen infrastructure develops and FCVs are leased or sold.