HyResponse is a ‘Coordination and Support Action (CSA)’ project supported by EC Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking and aiming to establish the World’s first comprehensive training programme for first responders, i.e. a European Hydrogen Safety Training Platform (EHSTP), to facilitate safer deployment of FCH systems and infrastructure. The core training programme is threefold: educational training, including the state-of-the-art knowledge in hydrogen safety, operational training on mock-up real scale hydrogen and fuel cell installations, and innovative virtual reality training reproducing in detail an entire accident scenario, including influence of first responder’s intervention. Three pilot training sessions will be organised during the project. The Emergency Response Guide, explaining details of intervention strategy and tactics, will be developed and included into the pilot training sessions to receive attendees’ feedback. The Advisory and Consultative Panel will be established to engage as much as possible European stakeholders and provide highest outreach of the project results. The Panel membership will be open to first responders, site operators, representatives and hydrogen industry, and car manufacturers throughout Europe. A website will stay active for training of newcomers after the end of the project. EHSTP will train first responders to deal with all safety aspects for a range of hydrogen applications, including passenger vehicles, buses, forklifts, refuelling stations, backup power, stationary fuel cells for combined production of heat and power, etc.

Three pilot training sessions “Hydrogen Safety and Emergency Response Training for First Responders” will be organised in face-to-face mode and will take place at the ENSOSP site (Aix en Provence, France).
The sessions will take place on the following dates:
– 1st training session: 31st of August-4th of September 2015 First pilot training session
– 2nd training session: 11th-15th of January 2016 Second pilot training session
– 3rd training session: 18th-24th of April 2016 Third pilot training session
The training sessions, each 5 days in duration, will include: educational training classes; operational training exercises and virtual training exercises.