Letter size · narrow margins · two sections

ThunderBank

Emergency Action Plan
Lightnin 24/7 Emergency
678-472-5682
470-244-3905
877-433-0313
Leave a voicemail or text if no immediate response. Numbers listed in priority order.
Section A
Production Crew
Section B
Fire Department
Lightnin Production Rentals · ThunderBank 270 kWh BESS
Revision 2 · August 2026
Section A

Production Crew

How to use this document. The production lead should review Section A before show start and brief any crew member who may interact with the ThunderBank. Keep the laminated Production Crew Emergency Card visible near the unit and the Fire Department Quick Reference Card ready to hand off on arrival. No signed acknowledgement is required — the fact that this document is provided and posted is the record of due diligence.

1. What this unit is

The ThunderBank is a mobile lithium battery energy storage system (BESS) housed in a truck box. It stores 270 kWh of LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) at 48 V DC nominal and delivers up to 90 kVA of 208 V 3-phase AC power to the fleet ("ThunderBolts").

Charge sources (four independent paths):

Power outputs beyond the ThunderBolt feed:

Hazards to be aware of: high-voltage AC at connection points, stored electrical energy in the batteries, and standard vehicle hazards (truck fuel, engine fire, collision).

The battery system is built and tested to recognized UL and IEC safety standards: UL 1741, UL 1973, and UL 9540A (or European safety standards — IEC 62619, IEC 62620, UN 38.3). UL 9540A specifically validates that thermal runaway in a single cell does not propagate to adjacent cells or modules. LiFePO4 is the safest common lithium chemistry — its thermal-runaway onset is far higher than NMC chemistries, and it does not release oxygen during decomposition — but it still demands respect.

2. Emergency contacts

Lightnin Primary (24/7)
678-472-5682
Lightnin Backup (24/7)
470-244-3905
Lightnin 3rd Priority (24/7)
877-433-0313

Leave a voicemail or text if no immediate response. If you see active fire or smoke, CALL 911 first, then call Lightnin.

3. Quick-response table

If you see / hear / smell…Do this
Smoke or flame from the truck box 1. Hit the EMERGENCY STOP button (rear right corner, exterior). 2. Call 911. 3. Call Lightnin. 4. Evacuate to 50+ ft. Do NOT open the personnel door.
Burning-plastic or sweet/chemical odor Hit EMERGENCY STOP, evacuate, CALL 911, call Lightnin. Treat as a fire indicator until cleared.
Hissing, popping, or unusual sound from box Hit EMERGENCY STOP, CALL 911 to be safe, then call Lightnin. Skip the action only if you can clearly identify the sound as routine: truck airbags, tires, inverter clicks, breaker trips.
Visible melting, scorching, or discoloration at a camlock or 120 V Edison receptacle Likely a bad cable or overloaded cable specs — not a fire indicator on its own. Call Lightnin and verify no other problems. Do not reuse the cable or plug without maintenance — the affected connector must be inspected and replaced before the unit is returned to service.
Small flame or arcing at an exterior camlock or Edison receptacle (no fire inside the box) Hit EMERGENCY STOP first. If safe to do so, use the ABC fire extinguisher (attached to the bumper, rear left of the truck) to knock down the flame. CALL 911 if the fire does not immediately go out, spreads, or you suspect it may have reached inside the box. Call Lightnin. Do not risk your personal safety — when in doubt, evacuate.
VRM alert: interior compartment at or above 100°F, or input/output panel at or above 120°F Check VRM to see which sensor triggered. Consider reducing loads if possible, and call Lightnin. See the temperature response ladder in §6 for escalation. Automatic EMERGENCY STOP at 119°F interior compartment or 140°F input or output panel.
Electric shock / arcing at a connection point Do not touch the person if still in contact with the source. Hit EMERGENCY STOP. CALL 911. Call Lightnin.
Water leaking into the truck box Hit EMERGENCY STOP. Disconnect external shore feed if safe to do so. Stay back, call Lightnin.
Truck fuel spill (truck fuel tank or engine) Shut off the truck engine. Hit EMERGENCY STOP on the ThunderBank (the E-stop covers the alternator DC path). Eliminate ignition sources, evacuate 50+ ft, call Lightnin and follow standard fuel-spill protocol for your site.
Truck engine fire or engine-bay smoke Shut off the engine if you can safely reach the cab. Hit EMERGENCY STOP on the ThunderBank (it disconnects the alternator and MPPT for you if the cab is unreachable). CALL 911 then call Lightnin. A truck fire can spread to the BESS — do not assume the box is unaffected just because the cab is the visible source.
Vehicle collision / accident Do not approach the truck box until safe. If accessible and safe, hit EMERGENCY STOP (it covers the alternator disconnect). Call Lightnin. CALL 911 if you notice other signs of emergency (injury, fire, smoke, fuel leak, arcing).
ABC fire extinguisher — when to use it. An ABC-rated fire extinguisher is mounted on the bumper at the rear left of the truck. It is appropriate only for a small, external, isolated electrical fire (a single camlock or Edison receptacle arcing or flaming, with no fire inside the truck box). Hit EMERGENCY STOP first, then use the extinguisher if you can do so safely from outside the box.

For anything larger, any fire inside the box, any thermal-event indicator on the bank itself, or any uncertainty: do not use the extinguisher. Evacuate, CALL 911, call Lightnin. Do not risk your personal safety. When in doubt, evacuate.

4. EMERGENCY STOP button

Location: Rear right corner of the truck box, to the right of the AC output panel. Marked with a red and white EMERGENCY STOP decal with an arrow pointing to the button.

How to use: Press the button firmly. It will lock in place. To reset, twist clockwise per the decal arrow (only after Lightnin clears the unit).

What it does:

Cutting the MPPT under load carries a small risk of damaging the MPPT. In a true emergency this is acceptable — stopping the flow of power is the priority. When time allows (non-emergency, or an early-stage incident where you can act deliberately), hitting the PV breakers first is preferred.

Before resetting: the incident that triggered the EMERGENCY STOP must be resolved (fire out, thermal event passed, fault diagnosed) and the scene confirmed safe by production crew. Do not reset the EMERGENCY STOP until you have notified Lightnin and Lightnin has cleared the unit.

Most events are inverter faults or false positives — Lightnin can guide the reset over the phone in those cases. For a true thermal or fire event, the unit returns to the shop for inspection before it is cleared.

5. Truck alternator

The truck's engine-driven alternator can charge the bank while the truck is running. It is not intended to be used to charge the batteries while parked. It runs automatically and charges the batteries up to 95% before powering down the field.

Best practice during an emergency: shut off the truck engine if you can safely reach the cab (good general practice for any incident involving the truck) and hit the EMERGENCY STOP button. If the cab is unreachable, the E-stop alone covers the alternator DC path.

6. Temperature monitoring — preventing equipment damage and fire

Each AC panel has a built-in temperature sensor and electrical fire suppression housed in a sealed enclosure. A separate interior compartment temperature sensor monitors the interior of the truck box, which is air-conditioned to 80°F; the panel sensors normally read within 20°F of the interior compartment temperature.

A VRM alert triggers when the interior compartment sensor reaches 100°F (clears at 95°F), or when the input panel or output panel sensor reaches 120°F (clears at 110°F). The alert names the sensor that tripped. Regardless of which one it is, action is required — open the VRM Advanced page to compare all three temperatures and monitor the trend. Then follow the response ladder below for the sensor that is climbing.

Interior compartment temperature (air-conditioned to 80°F)
ReadingStatusWhat to do
80–99°FNormalNo action. Call Lightnin if you think the A/C is starting to have trouble.
100–113°FVRM alarm — monitor and actCall Lightnin. Reduce loads if possible. Alarm clears at 95°F.
114°FShutdown requiredTurn the ThunderBank OFF (not E-stop yet), monitor VRM, call Lightnin.
119°FAutomatic E-stopThe unit trips the EMERGENCY STOP on its own. Call Lightnin. Call 911 if any indication of a fire.
Electrical panel sensor (inside the sealed AC panels)
ReadingStatusWhat to do
Up to 119°FNormalNo action.
120–129°FVRM alarm — monitor and actCompare to interior compartment reading, lower charge or discharge rate, and call Lightnin. Keep monitoring the trend.
130°FIsolate the affected panelIf the input panel is at 130°F, stop charging. If the output panel is at 130°F, stop discharging. Call Lightnin.
135°FCables or connections overheating — manual OFF requiredTurn the ThunderBank OFF (not E-stop yet), then call Lightnin. Call 911 if any sign of fire.
140°FEMERGENCY STOP — manual or automaticThe unit trips the EMERGENCY STOP on its own; hit the E-stop yourself if you have not already. Call Lightnin. Call 911 if any indication of a fire.
Automatic EMERGENCY STOP at high temperature. The ThunderBank will trigger the EMERGENCY STOP on its own if the interior compartment reaches 119°F or a panel sensor reaches 140°F. These auto-shutdowns are the last safety layer — they cut power and isolate the system before temperatures climb into the range where a fire could start.

AC panel fire suppression. If a fire does start inside either AC panel, a fire suppression device will disperse an aerosol agent to extinguish it. We cannot directly confirm whether the suppression has deployed, but we can monitor the temperature trend in VRM.

7. Personnel door — do NOT open during a fire

The truck-box personnel door is locked. The driver does not have the combination. The door is intended for maintenance or emergency only.

During an active or suspected fire, do not open the door. Opening it floods the box with oxygen and can accelerate the fire. The correct response is: hit EMERGENCY STOP, evacuate, CALL 911 then call Lightnin. The fire department will either get the combo over the phone from Lightnin or force entry with an axe, in coordination with Lightnin.

8. DO NOT

9. Evacuation

  1. Hit the EMERGENCY STOP button (rear right corner of truck box). This disconnects the alternator and the MPPT along with the inverters, so it is sufficient on its own if the cab is unreachable.
  2. Shut off the truck engine if you can safely reach the cab (good general practice for any truck-involved incident). The cab alternator switch is not required — the E-stop already covers that path.
  3. Move all personnel to at least 50 ft from the truck
  4. CALL 911 if there is any fire, smoke, or suspected thermal event
  5. Call Lightnin at 678-472-5682 (backup 470-244-3905, third priority 877-433-0313)
  6. Establish a single point of contact for the fire department on arrival; brief them on what was seen, when, and what was done
  7. Hand them the Fire Department Quick Reference card kept with this plan
Section B

Fire Department

1. Quick facts

System type
Mobile BESS, truck-box housed
Battery chemistry
LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate)
Capacity
270 kWh total · 243 kWh usable
DC bus
48 V nominal
AC output
208 V 3-phase / single-phase, 90 kVA
Component certifications
UL 1741 · UL 1973
UL 9540A or equivalent

What each standard covers: UL 1741 — inverter / power conversion equipment safety and grid interconnection. UL 1973 — battery system safety for stationary, motive, and light electric rail applications. UL 9540A — standard test method for evaluating thermal runaway fire propagation in BESS.

What we mean by “or equivalent.” Some units' batteries have met the pertinent IEC tests — IEC 62619 (lithium cell / battery safety for industrial applications), IEC 62620 (lithium cells / batteries for industrial applications — performance and dimensions), and UN 38.3 (transport safety testing for lithium batteries per the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, Section 38.3) — and are also going through UL 9540A testing. UL 9540A certification is pending for those units.
LiFePO4 is water-suitable for thermal events — copious water flow is the recommended suppression and cooling approach. Unlike NMC chemistries, LiFePO4 does not undergo violent thermal runaway and produces less toxic vapor, but SCBA is still mandatory.

2. On-arrival checklist

  1. Confirm the EMERGENCY STOP button has been pressed (rear right corner of truck box, red and white decal). If not, press it before approaching connection points.
  2. Confirm the truck engine is OFF if the cab is safely accessible. The EMERGENCY STOP disconnects the alternator DC charge path on its own, so operating the cab alternator switch (left of the steering wheel) is no longer required — but the switch is still there for awareness, and its indicator lights when the alternator has faulted.
  3. Visually confirm camlock connections at AC Input and AC Output are not arcing.
  4. Establish a 50 ft minimum stay-back zone upwind of the truck box. Expand to 100 ft if active venting, audible relief, or visible flame is observed.
  5. Call Lightnin at 678-472-5682 (backup 470-244-3905, third priority 877-433-0313) for live consultation. Lightnin can grant incident command real-time VRM telemetry access (cell temperatures, voltages, alarms).
Vehicle hazards remain: the BESS is housed in a truck, so standard automotive risks (engine fire, fuel tank, collision damage) are in play independent of the battery system. A truck-cab fire can spread to the BESS in the box. Treat the box as potentially compromised any time the truck has been in a collision, even with no visible BESS damage.

3. Firefighting approach

For a battery thermal event

Suppression agent guidance (per NFPA 855, Annex C.5.1).

For an electrical fire in an AC panel

4. Hazard awareness

5. Disconnect and connection locations

EMERGENCY STOP Exterior, rear right corner of truck box, to the right of the AC output panel. Red/white decal with arrow.
Alternator switch Inside the truck cab, left of the steering wheel. Not required to operate during an emergency — the EMERGENCY STOP disconnects the alternator DC charge path. Retained for fault indication (illuminated indicator = alternator fault; leave OFF until cleared) and for tech-level manual disconnect during maintenance.
AC Output "Waterfall" panel on the right side of the rear wall (exterior). Camlocks: Green / White / Red / Blue / Black.
AC Input Exterior, front right side of truck box, labeled "Input Only". 3-phase camlocks mounted vertically. Single-phase camlocks mounted horizontally, directly below the 3-phase set.
Internal AC panels Two enclosures in the ceiling, center of the truck box. Forward enclosure = AC Input. Rear enclosure = AC Output. Both have integrated temperature sensors and electrical fire suppression.
DC bus bars (per inverter bank) Located beneath each of the three inverter banks. Individual DC runs from each bank rise into the ceiling and join at the bus combining point. Internal — not field-accessible during a fire.
DC bus combining point Ceiling, forward of the AC Input panel. Where the three per-bank DC runs join into a single bus before reaching the battery isolation.
Rooftop solar (~2,900 W) Solar panels on the roof feed DC into the bank via an onboard MPPT charge controller. The EMERGENCY STOP disconnects the MPPT, stopping all solar charging (rooftop and any customer-added external, which share the same MPPT).
Onboard PV breakers (rooftop solar) Inside the truck box, right wall at the front, beneath the MPPT, in a shielded breaker box. Not field-accessible in a major fire. Not required during an incident — the EMERGENCY STOP already stops solar via MPPT disconnect. Used for tech-level isolation during maintenance or MPPT service.
External PV breakers (customer-added solar) Exterior, in a shielded breaker box at the rear left corner of the truck box, near the ABC fire extinguisher. Three breakers isolate the optional customer-added external solar inputs. Field-accessible. The EMERGENCY STOP already stops external solar via MPPT disconnect, but these breakers are the preferred first move when time allows because they cut the input before the MPPT (no MPPT damage risk).
Level 2 EV charger Stored in a black jockey box on the front right of the truck box. Customer deploys it to charge an electric vehicle from the bank's AC output.
Display (exterior repeater) Exterior, rear right corner of the truck box — inside an unlocked grey Polycase enclosure. Same live data as the interior Ekrano: real-time power flow and alarms (Alarms = 4th blue tab at top of screen). Use this without opening the personnel door. The Ekrano GX itself is mounted inside the locked compartment, on the left, ~5 ft above the floor, but is not needed for monitoring during an incident.

6. Personnel door access

The truck-box personnel door is combination-locked. Two access paths:
  1. Call Lightnin for the combination over the phone. Preferred when there is no active fire.
  2. Force entry with an axe. Acceptable when speed matters and Lightnin cannot be reached.
Before opening the door during an active fire event: coordinate with Lightnin if possible. Opening the door floods the truck box with oxygen and can accelerate combustion. AC-panel suppression is inside a sealed enclosure, so opening the truck-box door does not disturb the suppression atmosphere — the concern is purely about adding oxygen to a thermal event in the box.

7. Lightnin coordination

Lightnin 24/7 emergency:
Primary
678-472-5682
Backup
470-244-3905
3rd Priority
877-433-0313
Lightnin can grant the incident commander real-time VRM portal access (battery cell temperatures, voltages, alarm history, AC input/output power) for the duration of the incident.
Appendix

Reference & Disclaimers

A. Off-gassing during a battery thermal event

Off-gassing typically precedes visible flame by minutes — it is the earliest reliable warning of a lithium battery thermal runaway. The byproducts and their warning signs are well-documented for LiFePO4 chemistry in Sandia National Laboratories and NFPA Research Foundation studies; the same profile applies to this unit.

B. Customer / production-side pre-show safety checks

Because the ThunderBank moves between sites, the EAP cannot pre-fill site-specific information. Before each show, the production team must identify and be aware of:

C. Post-incident reporting

After any incident involving the ThunderBank (whether or not the unit was damaged), report the following to Lightnin as soon as it is safe to do so. Lightnin uses this to investigate root cause and update procedures.

D. Mobile BESS regulatory context

The ThunderBank is a mobile battery energy storage system. The principal published BESS standards — NFPA 855 ("Standard for the Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems"), IFC 1207, and NEC Article 706 — were written for stationary installations in fixed buildings. By their own terms they do not directly govern mobile BESS, and as of 2026 there is no unified US regulatory standard specific to mobile BESS.

Lightnin's approach is to follow stationary BESS best practices as closely as possible where they map to a mobile build. The ThunderBank is built to best electrical practices, and component-level safety is validated to recognized standards listed in the Quick Facts — UL 1741, UL 1973, and UL 9540A (or the equivalent IEC 62619 / IEC 62620 / UN 38.3). These component certifications apply regardless of stationary vs. mobile installation.

Where a local AHJ has mobile-specific or event-specific requirements, those supersede this document. Operators should confirm AHJ requirements during the pre-show safety check described in section B.

E. Disclaimer and scope

This document is guidance only, prepared by Lightnin Production Rentals to support the safe operation and emergency response for the ThunderBank. It does not replace site-specific safety plans, manufacturer documentation for installed components, or the directives of an on-scene Incident Commander or Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).

In any conflict between this document and the directives of an on-scene IC, AHJ, or applicable code, the IC/AHJ/code prevails.

Lightnin makes no warranty, express or implied, that this document covers every possible failure mode or emergency scenario. Customers and operators are responsible for completing their own site-specific risk assessment, including (where applicable) coordination with local fire, EMS, and code officials. The Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for the battery cells is available on request from Lightnin.

F. Revision history

RevisionEffectiveSummary of changes
Rev 12026-06-12Initial release.
Rev 22026-08-06EMERGENCY STOP upgraded — now also disconnects the truck alternator DC charge path and the MPPT (which halts all solar, rooftop and customer-added external). Cab alternator switch reframed as redundant to the E-stop and retained for fault indication / maintenance use. Rooftop-tarp guidance removed. PV breakers noted as preferred first move when time allows, to avoid MPPT damage risk from cutting under load. Revision to fire prevention approach and additional VRM alarm added for interior compartment temperature (100°F alarm clearing at 95°F, manual shutdown at 114°F, automatic E-stop at 119°F). Panel sensor ladder: 120°F alarm, isolate at 130°F, manual OFF at 135°F, manual or automatic E-stop at 140°F. Temperature response ladders added for interior compartment and panel sensors. NFPA 855 suppression agent guidance added to the firefighting approach.

ThunderBank Emergency Action Plan · Revision 2 · Effective 2026-08-06 · Lightnin Production Rentals