Vermont Firefighters to Receive New Solar Panel Training

At the Vermont Fire Academy in Pittsford, Vermont, fire safety instructors are getting some training to deal with a new challenge — battling blazes on rooftops adorned with solar panels.

A workshop at the academy last week focused on the special challenges rooftop solar systems present to firefighters — including electrical hazards and the need to de-energize the systems when fighting fires around them.

At the workshop fire safety instructors learned how to recognize the difference between solar photovoltaic modules and solar thermal panels, how solar PV modules work, and how to handle them during a fire.

Over the next several months, the newly trained instructors will deliver training on this topic to local fire departments across the state.

Topics Training Development