Programme overview
Introduction:
Aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) management, covering the RFF category and the airport emergency plan, is a 5-day course for airport fire service leaders, watch commanders and emergency planners that ends with an Airport Emergency Plan Review and Exercise Plan for a case airport. Airports lose critical minutes after an aircraft accident when the declared RFF category, agent stocks, station siting and emergency plan no longer match the aircraft operating there. Nominees already lead ARFF crews or write airport emergency procedures and work through case studies on incident records. CoreConcept Training Center delivers this aircraft rescue and firefighting management course.
Course Objectives:
- Determine the aerodrome RFF category from the aircraft fleet mix and test whether declared vehicles, staffing and agent quantities meet it
- Assess response time performance to runway ends and the movement area and recommend fire station or satellite station changes
- Plan principal and complementary extinguishing agent stocks, replenishment and the transition to fluorine-free foam
- Direct crash-site priorities for evacuation path protection, rescue, triage and scene preservation from the incident command role
- Review an airport emergency plan, its emergency operations centre and mutual aid arrangements against the airport services manual
- Design tabletop, partial and full-scale exercises and an ARFF audit and competence plan that close the gaps found
Target Audience:
- Airport fire service leaders accountable for ARFF category, staffing and station readiness
- Station and watch commanders responsible for crash crews, vehicles and response drills
- Airport emergency planners responsible for writing and testing the airport emergency plan
- Emergency operations centre coordinators responsible for activation, communications and agency liaison
- Airside safety and operations managers who coordinate ARFF cover with runway and apron activity
- ARFF training and standards managers responsible for firefighter competence records and audits
Course Outline:
Day 1: ARFF Role, Aerodrome RFF Category and Current Readiness
- ICAO Annex 14 Rescue and Firefighting Service Requirements Overview
- Aerodrome RFF Category Determination by Aircraft Length and Fuselage Width
- Category Remission Rules for Low Aircraft Movement Numbers
- ARFF Staffing Levels, Shift Patterns and Minimum Crew Numbers
- ARFF Readiness Baseline Using Category, Vehicle and Agent Records
Day 2: Response Time Objectives, Agents and ARFF Vehicles
- Two-Minute Runway Response Objective and Three-Minute Movement Area Limit
- Fire Station and Satellite Station Siting With Access Road Routes
- Performance Level A, B and C Foam and Water Quantities
- Dry Chemical Powder and Clean Agent Complementary Agent Stocks
- Major Foam Tender Turrets, High-Reach Arms and Piercing Nozzles
Day 3: Aircraft Hazards, Crash-Site Tactics and Incident Command
- Aircraft Familiarisation Charts for Doors, Exits and Cut-In Points
- Jet Fuel Spill, Composite Fibre and Oxygen System Hazards
- Lithium Battery Fires in Cabins, Cargo Holds and Electric Aircraft
- Foam Blanket Tactics Protecting Evacuation Paths and Escape Slides
- Incident Command Post, Rescue Sectors and Mass Casualty Triage Flow
Day 4: Airport Emergency Plan, EOC and ARFF Assurance
- Airport Services Manual Emergency Planning Structure and Scenario Types
- Emergency Operations Centre and Mobile Command Post Activation Procedures
- Mutual Aid Agreements With Off-Airport Fire, Medical and Police Services
- ARFF Firefighter Competence Matrix, Live Fire Training and Records
- ARFF Audit Checklist, Response Time Tests and Readiness Indicators
Day 5: Case Study on a Case Airport Emergency Plan and Exercises
- Case Airport Brief With Fleet Mix, Stations and Agent Stocks
- RFF Category and Response Time Gap Check for Case Airport
- Airport Emergency Plan Clause Review With Findings Log
- Tabletop, Partial and Full-Scale Exercise Scenario and Evaluation Sheet
- Airport Emergency Plan Review and Exercise Plan Completion
Skills You Will Gain:
- RFF Category Assessment
- Response Time Analysis
- Extinguishing Agent Planning
- Crash-Site Incident Command
- Airport Emergency Plan Review
- Emergency Exercise Design
- Mutual Aid Coordination
- ARFF Readiness Auditing
Why Attend This Course:
- Present an Airport Emergency Plan Review and Exercise Plan to the airport director and the emergency planning committee
- Decide whether the declared RFF category, station locations and agent stocks still match the aircraft operating at the airport
- Avoid response time failures, agent shortfalls and untested mutual aid arrangements that surface only during a real accident
- Brief watch commanders and planners using the category check sheet, audit checklist and exercise evaluation template
Conclusion:
Back at work, the participant presents the Airport Emergency Plan Review and Exercise Plan to the airport director, the fire service leadership and the emergency planning committee. The committee uses it to approve corrections to the emergency plan, the next tabletop or full-scale exercise and any change to category, staffing or agent stocks. After the first exercise, the fire service should compare achieved response times, activation steps and casualty handling with the plan, then update the findings log, the competence matrix and the emergency plan where results fall short.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
What should participants know before an aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) management course?
Participants should already lead ARFF crews, run a fire station or write airport emergency procedures. Bringing anonymised category records, response time tests or an existing emergency plan lets them apply the methods to their own airport during the case work.
How does aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) management differ from an industrial firefighting course?
It deals with aircraft accidents on and near an airport: RFF category, response time objectives, crash tenders, aircraft hazards and the airport emergency plan. Industrial firefighting courses deal with tank, gas and warehouse fires at process and storage sites.
How is the RFF category of an airport decided in aircraft rescue and firefighting planning?
The category follows the largest aircraft normally using the airport, judged by overall length and fuselage width. It then sets the minimum vehicles, water, foam and complementary agents the fire service must hold, with remission possible where movements are few.
What do participants take back from the aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) management course?
Participants take back an Airport Emergency Plan Review and Exercise Plan for a case airport, with a category and response time check sheet, an emergency plan findings log, an ARFF audit checklist and an exercise evaluation template they can adapt.