Firefighters learn theirway around a hybrid
<p>Mike Brynjestad a Kootenai County Fire and Rescue firefighter and paramedic inspects the wiring of a new hybrid vehicle Tuesday at Findlay Hyundai in Post Falls. Firefighters surveyed the layout of the vehicle to identify potential hazards when dealing with hybrids involved in accidents.</p>
POST FALLS -They looked under the hood.
They inspected the trunk.
They poked around in the interior, opened doors and checked the engine.
When they were done with their brief examination, about 15 Kootenai County Fire and Rescue firefighters came away sold on the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid at Findlay Hyundai Mazda.
But they weren't there to buy it.
They came to learn how to tear it apart.
"If we're doing extrication on a vehicle like this, we need to watch where we cut and how we cut," said firefighter Troy Speziale.
The $27,000 hybrid, which gets an estimated 40 mph on the highway and 35 in the city, creates a new challenge of sorts for firefighters responding to vehicle accidents and needing to use hydraulic extrication equipment to remove drivers and passengers.
Because not only do hybrids have airbags throughout, they have an extensive power system that includes batteries and thick cable that runs through the car, Speziale said.
"With these powerhouses on wheels that we have now, we really have to be able to know where those cables are when we cut. And the only way we can do that is by getting out here and getting our eyes on it," Speziale said. "We want to learn as much as we can about them."
Vern Mathis, general manager with Findlay Hyundai Mazda in Post Falls, said they were happy to let firefighters inspect the gleaming, pearl white Sonata in the showroom.
"We at Findlay Hyundai Mazda want to work with the community and support the community," he said. "They called and needed to see a hybrid to show some of the new technology, so we volunteered our car."
Mathis said technology in cars is constantly changing, so the chance to use a hybrid in an educational effort with firefighters was welcome.
"It's always good to keep up with the technology, so when they roll up to a scene, they know exactly where to go and what to do," he said.
The 2011 Sonata Hybrid is a popular addition to the Post Falls dealership.
"It's a really a great car and the new technology in it is just fantastic; as soon as we get them on the showroom floor, they fly out." Mathis said.