As autonomous vehicles expand into more U.S. cities, a new online training aims to help first responders safely interact with driverless cars when responding to incidents on the roadway.
The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and Waymo announced the launch of a free, self-paced online safety course designed for first responders who may encounter Waymo’s fully autonomous vehicles during traffic stops, crashes or emergency responses.
The training is intended for law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS providers and tow operators who may need to approach or operate around a vehicle with no human driver present.
According to GHSA, the course supplements the in-person training Waymo already provides to police, fire and EMS agencies in cities where the company operates ride-hailing services. Waymo’s First Responder Outreach team typically conducts hands-on vehicle demonstrations before the service opens to public riders in a new market.
The online course is divided into three modules. The first introduces Waymo’s autonomous vehicles, outlines where they currently operate and explains how the vehicles respond during police or emergency situations. The second module focuses on how first responders should approach and interact with a Waymo vehicle. The final module covers safety procedures, including passenger extrication and how to disconnect the vehicle’s battery when necessary.
After completing the training, participants can take an online quiz and download a certificate of completion.
GHSA CEO Jonathan Adkins said the training is intended to ensure first responders are prepared as autonomous vehicle technology becomes more common on public roads.
“Waymo and other AVs can unlock tremendous safety and mobility benefits for everyone,” Adkins said. “We owe it to our first responders — the first line of defense when there’s a problem on the road — to make sure they are prepared to safely interact with these vehicles.”
Rob Patrick, Waymo’s emergency response and outreach manager and a retired California Highway Patrol commander, said the company developed the course to support first responders working in areas where Waymo operates.
“We are committed to ensuring that first responders feel prepared and confident when working around our vehicles,” Patrick said.
In addition to the Waymo training, GHSA has launched an autonomous vehicle resource page for first responders. The page includes information on where autonomous vehicles are currently deployed and links to safety resources from other developers, including Aurora and Zoox.
The launch of the online training follows several encounters between police and Waymo vehicles that highlighted the challenges autonomous cars can pose during active incidents and law enforcement duties.
In one widely shared video, a Waymo robotaxi drove through an active felony stop in Los Angeles, passing officers who had a suspect at gunpoint. The autonomous vehicle moved through an intersection blocked by police cruisers with lights and sirens before officers issued commands directing it out of the scene. No one was injured, and the LAPD later said the vehicle’s presence did not influence officers’ tactics.
In a separate incident in Phoenix, a police officer stopped a Waymo vehicle that had driven into oncoming traffic in a construction zone, ran a red light and became briefly stuck. Body-worn camera footage shows the officer speaking with a Waymo customer service representative by phone as the vehicle was repositioned to clear the intersection. Police dispatch records labeled the interaction as “UNABLE TO ISSUE CITATION TO COMPUTER.”
Waymo said the Phoenix incident occurred after the vehicle encountered inconsistent construction signage and emphasized that the company reviews such events to improve system performance.
