The Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department showed off a new firefighting system on Oct. 9 at the Coral Springs Regional Institute of Public Safety, 4150 NW 120th Ave. The device is designed to help crews reach fires inside electric vehicle battery packs and other hard-to-reach spaces.
The Cold Cut Cobra System was bought with Urban Area Security Initiative grant money, so it came at no cost to the City of Coral Springs, Division Chief Chris Bator said. It uses high-pressure water mixed with an abrasive material to cut through metal and concrete and carry water closer to the source of a fire. Bator compared it to a pressure washer, though he said it operates at roughly 4,500 to 4,600 pounds per square inch.
EV fires are hard to extinguish, Bator said, and they sometimes flare up again more than 24 hours later. Getting water directly to the battery cells is the main problem, and the tool is meant to address it.
“This tool allows us to penetrate the battery pack and put the water where it needs to go,” he said.
Bator also said the equipment could help with attic fires and fires involving electric scooters and e-bikes. The Swedish-made system is currently mounted on one department vehicle. He said the goal is to place more of them on additional trucks.
For residents, the news means local crews have another option for stubborn battery fires, which are becoming more common as electric vehicles and mobility devices spread across South Florida.
