More than 170 attendees representing 68 AEGIS member companies attended the most recent monthly AEGIS Loss Control webinar – Safety Issues – Rooftop Solar Panels.
 
The increasing use of rooftop solar panels poses new risks to firefighters. Access to the roof to allow venting of the fire may be limited, the panels may still produce live current after shut-offs which can shock firefighters, and the added weight of the panels may cause roofs to collapse more quickly than anticipated. Delays created by working around solar panels may ultimately mean greater damage to structures and greater danger to firefighters. This webinar helps utilities understand potential hazards encountered by firefighters battling fires at structures with photovoltaic systems, and helps inform safer firefighting decisions.
 
The webinar is presented by Robert Green, Risk Manager at Public Service Electric and Gas of New Jersey, and past Chief of the Colonia, NJ Fire Department. This presentation is used extensively throughout New Jersey to assist firefighters in understanding the potential hazards that may be encountered with photovoltaic systems.
 
The Safety Issues with Rooftop Solar Panels webinar has just been posted our website and we encourage you and your colleagues to view it. Many AEGIS member companies have asked to share the webinar with their local fire departments so we posted the webinar in the public section of our website to facilitate access for firefighting professionals and others who may not have access to our password-protected content.
 
For more information about the AEGIS Loss Control series of monthly webinars, please visit our website. You can also register now for the next AEGIS Loss Control webinar, Gas Control Center Security, which is scheduled for April 1. If you have any questions about the monthly webinars, please contact Scot Macomber, Vice President – Loss Control Utility Operations, by e-mail or by phone at 201.508.2739.