February 2026,

On Thursday, January 15, the Emerson Fire Department, in partnership with EZ Ride and the New Jersey Electric Vehicle Association (NJEVA), hosted a First Responder EV Awareness Program to help local emergency personnel prepare for the rapid growth of electric vehicles. Eighty two first responders from Bergen County communities attended, including Bergenfield, Bogota, Closter, Cresskill, Demarest, Emerson, Hackensack, Hillsdale, Northvale, Oradell, Paramus, Park Ridge, South Hackensack, Saddle Brook, River Edge, River Vale, Tenafly, and Westwood.

NJEVA volunteers and local auto dealers provided 11 electric vehicles for hands on assessment, including the Rivian R1T, Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevy Bolt, Chevy Equinox EV, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Hyundai Kona EV, Tesla Model X, 3, S, Y, and Smart for Two EV. By encouraging regional participation and cross-department collaboration, EZ Ride expanded the program’s reach and strengthened coordination among neighboring agencies.

Although electric vehicles are generally considered safe, their advanced systems present unique challenges for emergency response. EVs involved in a collisions or fires may pose chemical, electrical, and thermal hazards. Awareness and hands-on familiarity are essential to ensure first responder safety, operational confidence, and effective incidence management.

The two-hour EV Awareness Program combines one hour of classroom instruction with hands-on interaction across multiple electric vehicles. Participants learn to identify electric and hybrid vehicles, locate and disengage high-voltage components, stabilize incident scenes and procced safely with extrication.  Participating municipalities could earn up to 15 Sustainable Jersey certification points.

“The EV First Responder event held by EZ Ride was an outstanding training experience,” said Joseph D. Mara, Chief, Emerson Fire Department. “It covered critical topics including how to locate and disengage high-voltage battery cables, how long an EV system takes to discharge after being disabled, and safe extinguishment methods for EV fires. Being able to walk around and physically interact with the newest EV vehicles truly brought the training full circle. The training was especially timely, as an Amazon Delivery EV crashed into a power pole in River Vale just the week prior, requiring multiple Bergen County fire departments to respond. I would recommend this training to any department looking to broaden their knowledge about EVs.”

Program sessions are led by EZ Ride’s EV Accelerator staff and Mike Hornsby, a retired firefighter and electric vehicle specialist with experience in emergency response, utilities, academia, and public service. His expertise ensures the program remains practical, credible, and grounded on real-world responder needs.

One session is offered each month. To request the First Responder EV Awareness course at your facility, complete the application here. Space is limited and a waitlist is in place, so early registration is strongly recommended.

EZ Ride’s EV Accelerator program also provides free technical assistance to local governments, transportation providers, and multi-unit dwellings to install EV charging or transition their fleet to electric vehicles. Participants could earn national recognition through the Electric Vehicle Adoption Leadership (EVAL) certification. For more information, contact [email protected] or call 201-939-4242, option 6.

Upcoming Events:

• March 18, Wheels & Watts meeting to discuss EV Charging for Communities | 2:00 pm – 3:00pm – Register
• March 26, First Responder EV Awareness | South Essex Fire Department in South Orange | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• April 16, Certified to Win: How to Leverage EVAL Certification for Sustainable Jersey Certification Grant Success | NJ TransAction | 8:45 am – 9:45 am – Register