State Fire Marshal: personal protective equipment: battery fires.
- Establishes a state working group to develop safety recommendations for firefighters responding to lithium-ion battery fires.
- Requires comprehensive review of protective equipment to limit exposure to lithium and heavy metals during battery fires.
- Mandates submission of safety recommendations to the Legislature by September 2026.
- Addresses different protective equipment needs for various battery fire scenarios including vehicles and storage facilities.
Assembly Member Patel's legislation directs the State Fire Marshal to establish a specialized working group focused on personal protective equipment standards for lithium-ion battery fires, responding to increasing incidents of these hazards across California. The working group, developed in partnership with the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, will include representatives from the State Board of Fire Services, academia, health and safety experts, and utility workforce labor organizations.
The working group's mandate encompasses reviewing current protective equipment capabilities and developing recommendations across several domains. These include evaluating the latest equipment technologies for limiting exposure to lithium and heavy metals, assessing cleaning methods for contaminated gear, analyzing whether different types of battery fires require specialized equipment, and examining on-scene decontamination practices. The group must submit its recommendations to the Legislature by September 1, 2026.
The legislation cites multiple recent incidents highlighting these emerging challenges, including a 2021 case where an Orange County fire captain entered disability retirement after experiencing renal failure following a battery facility fire. Additional events include a 2024 lithium-ion battery truck accident that closed Port of Los Angeles terminals and an eight-day battery storage facility fire in Otay Mesa requiring extended crew deployment. The bill's findings note that occupational exposure in firefighting was classified as a Group 1 known human carcinogen in 2022 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
 Anna CaballeroD Senator | Committee Member |  Not Contacted | |
 Tim GraysonD Senator | Committee Member | Not Contacted | |
 James RamosD Assemblymember | Bill Author | Not Contacted | |
 Megan DahleR Senator | Committee Member | Not Contacted | |
 Kelly SeyartoR Senator | Committee Member | Not Contacted |
Email the authors or create an email template to send to all relevant legislators.
Introduced By
Latest Voting History
| Ayes | Noes | NVR | Total | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 0 | 0 | 15 | PASS |
- Establishes a state working group to develop safety recommendations for firefighters responding to lithium-ion battery fires.
- Requires comprehensive review of protective equipment to limit exposure to lithium and heavy metals during battery fires.
- Mandates submission of safety recommendations to the Legislature by September 2026.
- Addresses different protective equipment needs for various battery fire scenarios including vehicles and storage facilities.
Email the authors or create an email template to send to all relevant legislators.
Introduced By
Assembly Member Patel's legislation directs the State Fire Marshal to establish a specialized working group focused on personal protective equipment standards for lithium-ion battery fires, responding to increasing incidents of these hazards across California. The working group, developed in partnership with the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, will include representatives from the State Board of Fire Services, academia, health and safety experts, and utility workforce labor organizations.
The working group's mandate encompasses reviewing current protective equipment capabilities and developing recommendations across several domains. These include evaluating the latest equipment technologies for limiting exposure to lithium and heavy metals, assessing cleaning methods for contaminated gear, analyzing whether different types of battery fires require specialized equipment, and examining on-scene decontamination practices. The group must submit its recommendations to the Legislature by September 1, 2026.
The legislation cites multiple recent incidents highlighting these emerging challenges, including a 2021 case where an Orange County fire captain entered disability retirement after experiencing renal failure following a battery facility fire. Additional events include a 2024 lithium-ion battery truck accident that closed Port of Los Angeles terminals and an eight-day battery storage facility fire in Otay Mesa requiring extended crew deployment. The bill's findings note that occupational exposure in firefighting was classified as a Group 1 known human carcinogen in 2022 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Latest Voting History
| Ayes | Noes | NVR | Total | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 0 | 0 | 15 | PASS |
Anna CaballeroD Senator | Committee Member | Not Contacted | |
Tim GraysonD Senator | Committee Member | Not Contacted | |
James RamosD Assemblymember | Bill Author | Not Contacted | |
Megan DahleR Senator | Committee Member | Not Contacted | |
Kelly SeyartoR Senator | Committee Member | Not Contacted |