Thursday, July 24, 2025
81.0°F

Firefighters learn theirway around a hybrid

BILL BULEY | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 14 years, 1 month AGO
by BILL BULEY
Bill Buley covers the city of Coeur d'Alene for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He has worked here since January 2020, after spending seven years on Kauai as editor-in-chief of The Garden Island newspaper. He enjoys running. | June 1, 2011 9:00 PM

POST FALLS -They looked under the hood.

They inspected the trunk.

They poked around in the interior, opened doors and checked the engine.

When they were done with their brief examination, about 15 Kootenai County Fire and Rescue firefighters came away sold on the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid at Findlay Hyundai Mazda.

But they weren't there to buy it.

They came to learn how to tear it apart.

"If we're doing extrication on a vehicle like this, we need to watch where we cut and how we cut," said firefighter Troy Speziale.

The $27,000 hybrid, which gets an estimated 40 mph on the highway and 35 in the city, creates a new challenge of sorts for firefighters responding to vehicle accidents and needing to use hydraulic extrication equipment to remove drivers and passengers.

Because not only do hybrids have airbags throughout, they have an extensive power system that includes batteries and thick cable that runs through the car, Speziale said.

"With these powerhouses on wheels that we have now, we really have to be able to know where those cables are when we cut. And the only way we can do that is by getting out here and getting our eyes on it," Speziale said. "We want to learn as much as we can about them."

Vern Mathis, general manager with Findlay Hyundai Mazda in Post Falls, said they were happy to let firefighters inspect the gleaming, pearl white Sonata in the showroom.

"We at Findlay Hyundai Mazda want to work with the community and support the community," he said. "They called and needed to see a hybrid to show some of the new technology, so we volunteered our car."

Mathis said technology in cars is constantly changing, so the chance to use a hybrid in an educational effort with firefighters was welcome.

"It's always good to keep up with the technology, so when they roll up to a scene, they know exactly where to go and what to do," he said.

The 2011 Sonata Hybrid is a popular addition to the Post Falls dealership.

"It's a really a great car and the new technology in it is just fantastic; as soon as we get them on the showroom floor, they fly out." Mathis said.

MORE IMPORTED STORIES

Fundraiser for 1-year-old boy, Take Two
Coeur d'Alene Press | Updated 15 years ago
Movers and Shakers June 12, 2012
Coeur d'Alene Press | Updated 13 years, 1 month ago
Automobile exuberance
Coeur d'Alene Press | Updated 10 years, 6 months ago

ARTICLES BY BILL BULEY

'Ask This Old House' coming to Coeur d'Alene
July 24, 2025 1:08 a.m.

'Ask This Old House' coming to Coeur d'Alene

PBS program to highlight Adam Schluter's 'Monday Night Dinner'

Landscaping and an outdoor kitchen are just some of the changes they will be making before dinner. The PBS program, now in is 24th season, receives thousands of requests from those who have properties that need plumbing, heating, or other smaller repairs.

July 24, 2025 1 a.m.

UI to sublease part of Harbor Center to Tribe

Will use space to house tribal services

“Tribal staff in the Natural Resources Department is already heavily involved in education and outreach, research, and community support in the Tribe’s aboriginal homeland, and this location will make opportunities more readily available into the future,” according to the report.

Coeur d'Alene fire chief reflects on shooting, days that followed
July 23, 2025 1:09 a.m.

Coeur d'Alene fire chief reflects on shooting, days that followed

Coeur d'Alene fire chief reflects on shooting, days that followed

Greif sat down with The Press following the latest update from Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris on the Canfield Mountain attack. He said that over the past few weeks, he was able to close some of the gaps on things he had questions about. “Being able to piece some of that together was super helpful for me,” he said.