VIDEO: Goodyear is unveiling its pilot program aimed at preventing trash truck fires, which officials say have been sparked by improperly discarded lithium-ion and rechargeable batteries. So far this year, the city has recorded three trash truck fires. The incidents can cause major property damage, put drivers at risk and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment repairs or replacements, according to Solid Waste Superintendent Adam Kurtz. “Any one of these trucks costs anywhere from $400,000 to $500,000 to replace,” Kurtz said. “When one goes out of service, it puts us at a disadvantage for providing the service, especially since we only have seven trucks.”
The cityโs new system uses two types of heat sensors installed in the hopper of each truck. The technology acts like a โsmoke detectorโ for garbage trucks, alerting drivers when temperatures rise above 200 degrees. โI like to call it predator vision,โ Kurtz said. โItโs looking for heat sources in the back of the truck. If it detects a fire, it sends an alert to the driverโs dashboard tablet.โ Many trash truck fires begin when rechargeable batteries — such as those found in vapes, laptops and other electronics — are thrown into a truck and become compacted or damaged, causing them to potentially combust and start a fire.
