IRVING, Texas - Firefighters from Irving and neighboring departments recently received specialized training from Tesla Motors on safely responding to emergencies involving autonomous and electric vehicles as the technology becomes more common on North Texas roads.
The training brought together first responders from the Irving, Coppell, DFW Airport and Grand Prairie fire departments.
The program featured two classroom sessions designed to familiarize emergency personnel with Tesla's autonomous vehicle technology and electric vehicle safety procedures.
The first presentation focused on Tesla's Robotaxi operations and interactions with the company's autonomous Model Y and Cybercab vehicles. The second session covered electric vehicle battery systems, the hazards associated with lithium-ion batteries and appropriate emergency response procedures for incidents involving electric vehicles.
In addition to classroom instruction, Tesla provided a Model Y autonomous vehicle for a hands-on training exercise. The practical session gave firefighters an opportunity to become familiar with the vehicle's features and reinforced concepts covered during the classroom presentations.
The Irving Fire Department said the hands-on experience will help first responders better prepare for incidents involving autonomous and electric vehicles as the technology continues to expand.
Department officials said Tesla plans to provide additional training opportunities for Irving first responders in the future. The Irving Fire Department said it looks forward to developing a long-term collaborative relationship with Tesla to ensure firefighters remain prepared as autonomous vehicle technology continues to evolve.
