Umatilla County Fire District #1 is one of the first fire departments in the state of Oregon to have the tools to safely disable an electric vehicle (EV) to access, treat and evaluate a patient after an accident.
Unlike fuel-powered cars, it can be difficult to determine whether an EV is running or not, and difficult to shut-off in an accident. Once the Emergency Plug is plugged into the vehicle’s charging port, the plug simulates a charging process and it switches the vehicle to “park” or “neutral” and may apply the electric parking brake.
This allows emergency personnel to take control of its power functions, safely turning off all necessary electronics. Crews can still open doors, move seats and make access to all electronic features of the vehicle. When the situation is stabilized, the plug can simply be removed with no damage or aftereffects to the vehicle.
