More than 200 Tennesseans bought electric cars in 2011. While the actual number of vehicles is relatively small, emergency responders want to be ready in case one of these vehicles is involved in an accident.

High voltage is the biggest danger in a crash. The Nissan Leaf uses a 400 volt battery, more than three times the juice that comes from a household electrical outlet.

The current, traveling through a network of batteries and cables, could be lethal to first responders and accident victims alike. But there’s another problem that’s not so obvious, according to Andrew Klock of the National Fire Protection Association. Electric cars are quiet. So quiet, that emergency responders aren’t tipped off by a revving engine.

“If a passenger was, for instance, unconscious and became conscious and accidentally stepped on the gas or put the vehicle in a gear, it could easily move backwards or forwards. So, as part of our training, we always tell the first responder to approach the vehicle from the side.”

Fire departments in Franklin and Nashville have already received some training on what to do with electric vehicles. Later this year, the state fire academy will offer a more comprehensive training for firefighters from around Tennessee