Aircrash Emergencies
Published: 01 July, 2007
Fire and emergency services who refuse to recognise the real possibility of a major air crash incident happening within their local airport or within their jurisdiction are leaving themselves wide open to numerous problems.
While most aircraft incidents occur at airports during take-off and landings, the problems that face airport fire services can affect municipal emergency services during an off-airport crash. Statistically, most actual plane crashes occur off-airport, especially smaller aircraft.
The potential for disaster has increased greatly in recent years because more planes are carrying larger numbers of passengers, often flying to and from facilities not equipped or staffed with airport fire protection to handle this increased traffic. At many airports around the world today, including in the US, the standards of airport fire safety are in dire need of improvement, says critics.
International Standards
International air traffic has increased significantly over the past 10 years, and is expected to rise even more so in the next decade, increasing the possibilities of aircraft crashes both on-and-off airports. In Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) seconds count to save lives during an on-airport air crash.
Today’s specialist airport firefighters require the tools and training to do the job, yet today’s ‘job’ has changed - firefighters may encounter incidents involving hazardous materials, bomb and chemical terrorist acts, etiological and biological incidents - and the potential mass casualties that can result from them. While some large international airports have actively begun to address these types of occurrences, the majority have not.
The prime example of things to come in the very near future is the new Airbus A380 ultra-large aircraft. Seemingly very little improvements have been incorporated in its design to improve the fire protection aspects of this aircraft while either in the air or on the ground. While Airbus will tout new ‘fire hardened fuselages’ and fire-resistant interior materials, this 550 + seat two-level aircraft still lacks fire protection features such as interior water misting systems and smoke hoods for passengers.
The A380 also presents a variety of new challenges, including larger hanger-maintenance facilities that will require both passive and active fire protection systems that can handle potential interior fires on the second level of the aircraft and the increased fuel capacity of the aircraft.
Aircraft parking and boarding areas will require enhanced fire protection of passenger jetways and aircraft ramp areas. For an on-runway incident, the A380 presents other problems, for instance the need for longer hose reels on airport fire vehicles in order to reach second level interior aircraft fires.
Elevating nozzles designed to reach second level doors to attack fires may be impeded by the many evacuation slides that are present around the critical fire area surrounding the fuselage. These devices, although a progressive innovation, are viewed by many airport firefighters that I have spoken with, as just another ‘new toy’ that somehow justifies in the eyes of many airport s and aviation regulatory agencies the need for fewer personnel on the fire vehicle.
ARFF Vehicles
ARFF fire vehicles have developed significantly over the past 20 years, providing increased speed, agent capacities and improved turret systems. However, there still some inherent design problems, especially in regards to vehicle stability. While many vehicle rollovers are often blamed on ‘driver error’, the basic design of the vehicle may be a contributing factor.
The elevating / piercing nozzle, seen on some European ARFF vehicles, has continued to evolve over the years. They are now produced in various versions, such as the High Reach Extendible Turret (HRET) produced by Rosenbauer, and its original concept, the SNOZZLE, first developed by Crash Rescue Equipment Services (USA).
High discharge capacity bumper mounted turret systems, such as the RHINO, also built by Crash Rescue Equipment (Dallas, USA), are being introduced on many new airport fire vehicles. These ‘low profile’ design nozzles are being proven as very effective when attacking underwing fires. Colet ARFF vehicles has also developed and introduced a large discharge capacity nozzle system that is a combined bumper mounted / elevating nozzle that can rotate 360Odegrees while discharging at full capacity. Its lightweight construction and low-profile design is not ‘top heavy’ thereby not affecting the overall stability of the vehicle during high speed manoeuvring.
PPE & training
ARFF personal protective clothing has improved significantly, with lightweight, more durable and breathable fabrics that afford airport firefighters better protection from high heat conditions encountered at aviation fires.
However, aircraft firefighting bunker gear can delay the signs and sense of high heat, and firefighters must exercise extreme caution, especially during interior aircraft firefighting operations.
While many airport fire services still prefer and use reflective aluminised bunker gear, the use of structural type fire clothing is gaining wider acceptance across the world, especially in warmer climates.
One of the major improvements today in air crash management is in ARFF training equipment. Providing appropriate and realistic training situations is essential to providing firefighters with hands-on experiences that will enable them to move quickly and confidently, saving time that will save lives. New large aircraft simulators offer firefighters a variety of firefighting scenarios, both interior and exterior.
Aircraft crashes are rare, but the Incident Command and Control of them requires hands-on training. Virtual reality simulators offer airport firefighters and other emergency providers with the ability to practice Incident Command and Control of a variety of virtual aircraft crash scenarios.
Virtual reality simulator technology has improved tremendously since first developed, and can now be found at many airport fire services and airport fire training establishments across the world.
Pre-planning & operational readiness
Recent aircraft crashes clearly illustrate to emergency service responders a very important lesson - that an aircraft crash can occur at anytime and anywhere. Being prepared to deal with them requires pre-planning, training and a proactive attitude to prepare for them.
The primary consideration when dealing with any aircraft crash is to have an operational plan to deal specifically with the various types of incidents that can occur.
This requires regular airport & municipal fire and emergency services liaison, exercises in multi-agency Unified Command and Control, aircraft familiarisation and hazards training, aircraft firefighting training and post-crash hazards training.
Airport firefighters must not fall into a lackadaisical attitude, since every take-off and landing is a potential disaster. Apathy and loss of commitment to constant training and mental / physical readiness can prove to be deadly.
New aircraft firefighting strategies and tactics, combined with advanced training tools and equipment seen on the market today can assist firefighters to deal with aircraft crashes more effectively.
Don’t wait until an aircraft crashes on your airport or in your jurisdiction to start planning for it. Train and plan for the worse case scenario, and start now.
