It comes from the fact that the hybrids and electric vehicles present unique hazards to emergency responders that require extra training and caution when being cut apart. There is limited information and practical experience about how to safely cut them apart since they're not very common yet.

Air bags and side-impact bags also have the potential to be dangerous and require rescue personnel to be aware of the hazards associated with working and cutting around them.

"It's not being paranoid about doing extrication with hybrid vehicles, it's just being aware of different aspects of the vehicle and how to address them."

What's different with gas electric hybrids is the electricity. High voltage cables run from the motor in the front to the battery in the trunk. "This is a 200 volt nickel metal hydrate battery pack (in the trunk)," says (Assistant Fire Chief Dan) Furseth.

(from http://www.nbc15.com/news/headlines/2054672.html )