Module I Introduction (NC AFF LP 1)

Module I – Introduction (NC AFF LP 1) Reference Materials (JPR 5.1)

1. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1001 - Standard for Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications

2. NFPA 1003 - Standard for Airport Firefighter Professional Qualifications

3. NFPA 472 – Standard for Professional Competence of Responders to Hazardous materials Incidents

4. NFPA 1002 - Standard on Fire Apparatus Driver Operator Professional Qualifications 5. Department of Transportation (DOT), Code of Federal Regulation (CFR), Title 14, Part 139,

Certification and Operations: Land Airports Serving Certain Air Carriers (commonly referred to as Federal Aviation Regulation [FAR] Part 139)

6. Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Airport Services Manual, Part 1, Chapter 14 Levels of Training / Certification / Qualification (JPR 5.1)

1. Firefighter Response to Aviation Emergencies - Potentially a NC Fire and Rescue Commission, Awareness-level certification course

2. Airport Firefighter - NFPA 1003 3. Aircraft Rescue Firefighter - NFPA 1003 Pre-requisites for Each Level of Training (JPR 5.1)

1. Firefighter Response to Aviation Emergencies – No pre-requisites required 2. Airport Firefighter -NFPA 1001, NFPA 472, NFPA 1002

3. Aircraft Rescue Firefighter - -NFPA 1001, NFPA 472, NFPA 1002 Aviation Incidents (JPR 5.1.1.3) (IFSTA 4th Ed., Chapter 10, p. 170 - 184)

1. Ground Incidents

 High and low impact crashes  Aircraft fires

 Fluid leaks and spills 2. In-flight Emergencies

 System failure (hydraulics, engines, electrical, navigation, etc.)  Structural failure of the aircraft

General Terminology 1. Airframe 2. Fuselage 3. Airport / airfield 4. Controlled airfield 5. Un-controlled airfield

6. Runways 7. Taxiways

8. Purple K / duel agents

9. Flammable / combustible metals 10. Jet fuel (A,B, JP4)

11. Av-Gas 12. Cockpit

13. APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) 14. Cabin

15. Canopy

16. ATC (Air Traffic Control) 17. Approach

18. Heading

19. FOD (Foreign Object Debris) 20. “Souls on board”

21. Flight plan 22. Frangible gates

23. ILS (Instrument Landing System) 24. AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam) 25. FFFP (Film Forming Fluorprotein Foam) 26. CAFS (Compressed Air Foam System) 27. Proportioning

28. Concentrates

29. Advanced aerospace materials – composite materials 30. Air Bill

31. Airport Emergency Plan (AEP)

32. NIMS (National Incident Management System) 33. Command Post (CP)

34. Staging Area 35. Triage

Module II – Airfield Familiarization (NC AFF LP 2) Airfield / Airport (JPR 5.2.1)

1. Types of airports - Controlled vs. uncontrolled (LP 2, EO 2)

 Controlled Airports - have towers with personnel who control all ground movement inside the AOA.

 Uncontrolled Airports - do not have personnel that control ground movement however pilots and ground personnel communicate with each other via radios as a common courtesy.

 FAR 139 Certificated Airports - must meet all safety requirements outlined in Title 14 CFR Part 139 which includes having ARFF capabilities.

 Non Certificated Airports – may or may not meet all the requirements outlined in Part 139

2. Runway and airfield lights, markings, and signs  Lighting

 Markings  Signs

3. ARFF firefighting equipment 4. Taxiways vs. runways

5. Fueling facilities (Fuel Storage and Distribution)  Fuel Farms

 Fuel Trucks  Fuel Hydrants 6. Types of structures

 Terminals

 Hangars/ Aircraft maintenance Facilities  Other Facilities and Airport Activities 7. ILS Critical Area – stay out

8. Designated isolation areas – purpose 9. Controlled Access Points

10. Water supply

11. Airport Drainage Systems

Module III – Aircraft Familiarization (NC AFF LP 3) General Categories of Aircraft (JPR 5.2.2) and (JPR 5.3)

1. Fixed wing  Fuselage  Wings  Tail Section 2. Rotary wing  Fuselage  Main rotor(s)  Tail rotor  Landing gear 3. Military

 Designator letters (A-Attack, B-Bomber, C-Cargo/ Passenger etc...) Military Aircraft Hazards

 Same hazards as other types of aircraft  Radiation hazards

 Ordinance and Weapons systems hazards  Ejection systems

Module IV – Response, Suppression and Rescue (NC AFF LPs 4, 5, 9 and 10) Strategies and Tactics

1. Develop a response plan based on the incident

 Size-up at an aviation emergency is one of the most crucial parts of the operation. What is done at this stage of the operation sets the tone for the rest of the incident

 Initial units should transmit a clear report of conditions, request additional resources if needed, and develop a plan of action

 Immediate emphasis needs to be placed on the rescue of occupants and effective conservation of firefighting agents (foam/water). This is done so that firefighter safety is not compromised during rescue operations

 Apparatus placement of the first piece of apparatus will dictate the positioning of incoming units

 No Action - One of the most difficult decisions may be to take no action other than beginning to establish a command structure with which to manage the incident. If the nature and/or scope of the incident is clearly beyond the capabilities of the first arriving unit, it may be more productive for personnel to delay attacking the incident in favor of managing it. This is accomplished by assuming the position of Incident Commander (IC), designation a command post and directing other incoming units in a planned and coordinated attack.

2. Personal Protective Equipment (JPR 5.1.1.3)

 SCBA must be worn at all aircraft fires (initial approach, extinguishment, performing rescue, and overhaul)

 Personal Alert Safety Systems (PASS) devices should be worn whenever personnel enter a IDLH / hazardous materials environment

 Personnel involved in emergency operations around aircraft will be exposed to noise that exceeds the accepted level of exposure. Hearing protection should be a made available for firefighters when identifying needed PPE for aviation emergency response  Firefighters risk eye injury from many different sources during emergency operations

around aircraft. Helmet-mounted faced shields, goggles or SCBA provide reasonable protection against many common eye injuries

 Although proximity suits are aluminized provide superior radiant and thermal heat protection, structural personal protective equipment (PPE) will adequately protect the firefighter from all but the most extreme conditions. Structural turnout gear is resistant to cuts and abrasions however, it is extremely susceptible to "wicking" hydrocarbon fuels and does not provide the heat reflective capabilities of proximity suits

3. Utilize preplans

 Aviation emergencies require a well-organized and will-trained emergency crew using the Incident Command System (ICS)

 The response plan will vary depending on the type of emergency 4. Topography and weather considerations

 Consider the stability of the terrain, slope of the ground, and direction of the wind prior to entering a crash site

 Always attempt to position vehicles uphill and upwind to avoid fuels and fuel vapors that may gather in low-lying areas. Low or downslope areas may become saturated with fuel

 Soft or muddy soils may stop heavy apparatus and equipment and rough or rocky terrain may be impassable

 Topography should be considered when establishing a triage, tool and manpower staging, and rehab areas

 Wreckage - The condition and location of wreckage and an hazards it creates must be evaluated. Different methods of attack may be required according to whether the aircraft is intact, broken open, fragmented or upside down.

5. Site accessibility (airfield vs. populated/rural area)

 Fire and Rescue agencies who respond to airfields should study the arrival and departure patterns and determine where accidents/incidents are likely to occur

 Once key locations have been identified, the access to these areas should be checked by using ground and air surveys. Obstacles to apparatus and primary / auxiliary water supplies should be noted

 The size and condition of roads and bridges may restrict access. Underpasses and bridges may impose height, width and weight restrictions

 Various types of fences may restrict access

 Terrain features such as ditches, fenced areas, wooded areas, streams, marshes, and swamps may block or impede the passage of heavy apparatus

6. Apparatus placement (JPR 5.2)

 Approach the scene with extreme caution so as to not run over any fleeing occupants, wreckage, ground scarring, spilled fuel, or other hazards

 Do not drive through smoke that may be obscuring escaping occupants

 Do not position vehicles so that they block the entry or exit from the accident site for other emergency vehicles

 Position vehicles so that they can be used to protect the egress route or rescue operations of persons from the aircraft

 Position vehicles so that they can be repositioned as easily as possible while limiting maneuvers that require backing the vehicle

 Position vehicles so that master streams, turrets, deck guns or hand lines may be used to maintain the route of egress if necessary

7. Treat as a hazardous materials incident / crime scene (p. 85)

 Most, if not all , aircraft crash sites contain significant amounts of biohazards and chemical hazards

 Fuels alone pose a significant threat to the firefighter

 Biohazards come mainly from the bodily fluids of occupants of the aircraft but may be present on debris contaminated with lavatory water

 All crash sites should be considered chemical and hazardous sites until properly decontaminated or determined otherwise

 Each firefighter, EMS responder or victim may need decontamination prior to departing from the hot zone. Decontamination procedures should be established according to NFPA 472, Recommended Practice for Responding to Hazardous Materials Incidents 8. Emergency Medical Considerations (JPR 5.4.3) (p. 205)

 Triage in accordance with the AHJ's procedures  Patient staging and rehabilitation areas for responders

 Mortuary Assistance - plans for coping with a major disaster should include provisions for a temporary morgue. In a major aircraft accident, the number of fatalities may overwhelm local morgue facilities

 Arrangements should be made with a resource that can supply refrigerated trucks as a means of a temporary morgue

 CISD Teams for all Responders

9. Aircraft access for rescue (JPR 5.4.1) and (JPR 5.4.2) (p. 120)

 Forcible entry should be considered only as a last resort since wreckage, flammable atmospheres and other factors create an environment that is hazardous not only to victims but also to rescue personnel

 Normal doors and hatches are the easiest and quickest ways to access aircraft and usually have external releases (TRY BEFORE YOU PRY)

 Most doors rely on electrical or other systems to operate but usually have a pneumatic backup system in place

 Because of impact forces, doors or hatches may be jammed. If forcible entry is

necessary, be extremely careful to prevent injuries to survivors who may be just inside the fuselage

 Emergency escape slides can also be dangerous to firefighters and can be obstacles to gaining access

 If all other methods of gaining

 Aircraft windows may be used for ventilation or for occupants to escape. Most windows in aircraft open toward the inside

10. Initiating contact with the pilot (p. 93)  Obtain pilots intent

 Obtain number of people on board (souls on board)  Obtain amount of fuel on board

 Obtain amount / type (if any) hazardous materials carried on the aircraft 11. Special military considerations (p. 191)

 Identify the main point of contact for military aviation emergencies

 Work with the military installation / Base Fire Department and Crash Fire Rescue (CFR)  Be aware of possible ordinance

 Work with Military Police

 Work with the Unit Investigation Team

Module V - Incident Command (NC AFF LP 6) Priorities

1. Life Safety

 Life Safety of Firefighters

 Life Safety of the occupants of the aircraft or those in life-threatening situations  Life Safety of the any spectators

 Life Safety includes saving lives of pets and livestock 2. Incident Stabilization

 Fires or other emergencies will continue to get worse until we interrupt the growth of the situation

 Before we can extinguish a fire we must first control it.

 Control and contain spilled hazardous materials (or contact Haz-Mat Response Team)  Preventing an emergency from getting any worse than it was when we arrived on scene 3. Property Conservation

 To the extent possible without putting Firefighters in mortal danger  Salvage and Overhaul operations

 Prevent further damage

Other Considerations (JPR 5.2.2) and (JPR 5.2.3) 1. Initiate the Incident Command System (ICS)

 Common Terminology  Modular organization  Integrated communications  Unified command structure

 Consolidated action plans  Manageable span of control  Pre-designated incident facilities  Comprehensive resource management 2. Establish Communications

 Clear Text

 Control Tower (If Controlled Airport)

 Responders/ ARFF Department (Personnel and Units)

 Mutual Aid and EMS Services (Local, Regional, State, Federal)  Air Carrier/ Owner

 Support Services (Police, FAA, NTSB, Family Assistance, Red Cross etc) 3. Determine the magnitude of the incident and the resources needed

 What is the emergency? Where is it going? What do I have to control it? Where can I get additional resources?  Private business  Local  Regional  State  Federal

4. Delegate resources effectively and efficiently (i.e. triage, water supply, foam, utilizing mutual aid)

 Incident Management System/ Incident Command System  Initiate an accountability plan / system

 Span of control

5. Coordinate with the media and local, state, and federal regulatory organizations (PIO)  Incident-related information

 Firefighters should not comment or express opinions…refer all questions to command or the Public Information Officer (PIO)

 Media plays an important role in delivering information to the public on evacuation, traffic patterns and other related incident information

6. CISD for responders (Critical Incident Stress Debriefing)  Have a plan in place prior to an incident  Peer Group

 Firefighters and anyone who had to deal directly with the victims should participate  Individuals react to and deal with stress in different ways

 Psychological and Emotional Stress  Debriefing (defusing)

Summary 1. Training

2. Preplanning (resource lists for specialized apparatus, foam, medical supplies, EMS transport units, Haz-mat supplies, etc...)

3. Possibility of an aviation emergency occurring in their response area – resource intensive, emotional impact, destruction of property,

4. Possibilities for additional certifications / training (AFF, ARFF, Haz-Mat, FF, Fire Officer etc...) Additional Reading / Instructor Resources

1. Anderson, J., Hawkins, J., Gill, R. (2008). Aircraft Accidents, A Practical Guide for Responders. Delmar / Thompson Learning.

2. Tackett, William, R. (2000). General Aviation Firefighting for Structural Firefighters. Delmar / Thompson Learning.

3. Federal Aviation Administration. (2010). First Responder Safety at a Small Aircraft or Helicopter Accident. http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/gen_av/first_responders/