VIDEO: The Seattle Fire Department (SFD) and Seattle City Light are rolling out a new Energy Response Unit to address electrical fires in substations and underground faults.
The unit includes 44 firefighters specifically trained to fight energy-related fires, a new rig with 11,000 pounds of carbon dioxide and 600 feet of hose line. The aim is to put out fires safely and quickly to minimize destruction to expensive equipment and the power outages that would follow. "These fires are rare but can cause catastrophic impacts to infrastructure, possibly causing widespread power outages, and none of us want to see that," SFD Chief Harold Scoggins said. "[This is] the most capable apparatus in the nation for extinguishing these types of powers."