Although hydrogen and fuel cells are considered longer-term technologies, hydrogen fueling stations and fuel cell vehicles are already entering the public space through demonstration projects in certain regions of the country, and stationary fuel cells have reached the commercial market for some applications. Given the growing public visibility of hydrogen technology – and the correlation between knowledge of hydrogen and opinions about safety – the need for a carefully planned education program is immediate.

First responders comprise an important target audience for hydrogen education. Fire, law enforcement, and emergency medical personnel must understand how to handle potential incidents involving hydrogen, but perhaps more important, they are viewed among local community residents as safety experts, and their familiarity and comfort level with hydrogen as a fuel can facilitate community acceptance. Most first responders, however, are not familiar with hydrogen as a fuel and may be reluctant to “welcome” its use in their community. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Program seeks to facilitate near-term use of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and support future commercialization by providing technically-accurate and objective information that is relevant to the first responder community, as well as other target audiences both directly and indirectly involved in the use of hydrogen today.

DOE's Introduction to Hydrogen Safety for First Responders was developed in partnership with hydrogen safety experts at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and first responders and first responder trainers at the Volpentest Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response Training and Education Center (HAMMER). The course includes a set of short modules intended to acquaint first responders with the following:

• The basic properties of hydrogen and how hydrogen compares to other commonly used fuels,

• The use of hydrogen in vehicles and for stationary power generation (including recognition of hydrogen equipment),

• Initial protective actions and measures to mitigate hazards, should an incident involving hydrogen occur.

Video clips, animations, and other images are used throughout the course to illustrate key points, and a quiz at the end helps to evaluate retention. A “library” section includes supporting documents, video clips, and links to key resources for additional information. It is important to note that the Introduction to Hydrogen Safety for First Responders is not intended as a “training tool” for teaching responders how to aggressively handle incidents, extrication, or accident scenarios; such detailed information will be considered for future advanced-level modules.

To ensure the technical accuracy and usability of the course material, project development included a rigorous review process involving more than 100 individuals from the hydrogen and first responder communities.

The final product will be available in the fall of 2006, primarily through hydrogen.energy.gov. Hard copies will be available through the DOE Information Center (877-EERE-INF(O)) and can be sent free of charge to first responders throughout the United States. DOE is also working with organizations such as the National Fire Academy of the U.S. Fire Administration to make information about hydrogen available through other traditional training delivery mechanisms and outlets.