Early Coordination, Real Signage, and Trust: What the Battery Industry Needs to Know About Emergency Response
A deep dive on grid-scale battery fire prevention with an expert in municipal firefighting and energy storage risk management.
Before Firefighters Arrive, the Clock Is Already Ticking
The 2025 fire at the Moss Landing battery facility in California — one of the largest in the world — triggered evacuations and renewed scrutiny of energy storage system safety. It didn’t just expose the risks inherent in lithium-ion batteries — it revealed the implications of possible operational gaps between cutting-edge technology and first responder readiness.
That gap is what Doug Wilson, Division Chief of Training at Scottsdale Fire Department, is working to close.
During the episode, Doug shared an anecdote about a time his crew responded in Scottsdale to what appeared to be a battery system incident. At the site, there was no signage, no emergency contact, and no communication from the developer that a unit had been delivered. Luckily, the system wasn’t energized — but because responders didn’t know that, they treated it as a hazardous materials (hazmat) event. Though It wasn’t dangerous, the response was expensive, time-consuming, and completely avoidable.
With more than 20 years in the fire service — including direct hazmat experience — Doug brings deep operational insight into how Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) projects intersect with real-world emergency response. At Scottsdale Fire Department, he oversees training across hazmat, technical rescue, and large-scale incident readiness, and has helped shape public-sector preparedness as battery deployments have grown across Arizona. He’s worked with utilities, vendors, and Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) to improve permitting, planning, and safety coordination.
That’s exactly why we brought him on as a guest on the Beyond Lithium podcast.
In this episode, Doug joins host Nate Kirchhofer to break down what battery project leaders need to know if they want to keep their communities safe and their timelines intact.
Here are 5 takeaways from the episode that every BESS stakeholder should keep in mind:
If the fire department isn’t looped in early, they can’t protect your project. Doug emphasized that when fire departments are involved during the design or permitting phase, they can provide meaningful input — like site access, hazard zoning, and equipment placement — that avoids costly redesigns later. "We’re not trying to say no," he said. "We just want to be able to respond if something happens."
Signage isn’t just a formality — it’s a frontline tool. In one case, Doug’s crew arrived at a battery container with zero markings: no chemical labels, no contact info, no indicators of system status. As a result, they had to treat it as a live incident. Redundant external signage, system diagrams, and emergency contacts are small investments that prevent major delays in an emergency.
Local departments are eager to learn — but need your help. Scottsdale Fire has created its own in-house training system using Tesla battery modules and a demo container. But many departments don’t have the tools or budget to build that kind of program. Vendors who offer even basic orientation sessions — or let firefighters see inside a container — make a big difference in readiness.
Out-of-service systems still need labels. One of Doug’s biggest concerns is with “staged” systems — BESS enclosures that have been delivered to a site but are not yet energized. Without proper signage, these can trigger hazmat responses. Developers should clearly label status (“not energized,” “inert,” “testing only”) and alert local responders before staging units on site.
Don’t assume firefighters know your equipment. "What you see as an air handler or inverter, we might see as a threat," Doug explained. Even experienced firefighters don’t always know how to assess BESS components. Site maps, annotated diagrams, and walkthroughs help responders avoid damaging systems — or putting themselves at unnecessary risk.
Catch the full episode at the link below:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/57rpQwWDuHim4giMo5VXZn?si=fde7993a506c4983
