1. Airport Familiarization

2. Types of Airports Basically there are two types of airports:
Controlled-with control towers and traffic control personnel
Uncontrolled- either staffed partially during the day or totally uncontrolled.

3. Types of Airports
The Federal Aviation Authority, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the NFPA determine the level of fire protection required at the airport.
The FAA and ICAO base the airport type on the length of the aircraft, number of passengers and average number of flights.
The AHJ will determine the type of ARFF required.

4. Airport Traffic Patterns
ARFF personnel must understand traffic patterns used at airports.
This will assist the firefighter in determining the approach of an emergency aircraft.
Aircraft take-off and land into the wind.
The components of a typical traffic pattern are:

5. Airport Traffic Patterns
Crosswind leg- Perpendicular to the runway on the departure end
Downwind leg- Parallel to the runway heading to the approach end
Base leg- Last leg, perpendicular to the runway at the approach end.
Final Approach- Straight into the runway into the wind

6. Runway and Taxiway Designation Systems
Runway numbers are taken from the compass bearing of approaching A/C rounded to the nearest 10º.
There will always be a difference of 180º between opposite ends of a runway.
Example: Runway 23 verses Runway 05
23 is compass heading 230º and 05 is compass heading 050º.

7. Runway and Taxiway Designation Systems
Parallel runways are designated with L for left, R for right, and C for center.
Taxiways are usually designated by letters, numbers or a combination.
They are not standardized but are determined locally.
Taxiways are the roadways for aircraft movement on the ground

8. Aircraft Landing View

9. Aircraft Radar View

10. Airport Lighting, Marking and Signage Systems
Blue Lights- outline taxiways and are located off the edge 100’ apart.
White Lights- Outline runways and are 200’ apart.
Green Lights- identify approach ends of runways and taxiway centerlines.
Red Lights- identify hold bars or areas that require tower clearance to cross.

11. Airport Lighting, Marking and Signage Systems
Yellow (Amber) Lights- are for the location of hold bars
Markings are commonly Yellow and White and Red
White- is used for runway identifier numbers/letters, landing zone bars, and centerlines.
Red is for restricted areas such as fire lanes or no-entry areas

12. Airport Lighting, Marking and Signage Systems
Yellow- Is used for hold bars and taxiways. Hold bars are used like stop signs for vehicles and aircraft.
One side is solid and the other is broken.
When approaching from the solid side the vehicle is required to stop until cleared to cross by the tower.
When approaching from the broken side the hold bar does not apply.

13. Airport Lighting, Marking and Signage Systems
Signs come in six different types:
Mandatory Instruction Signs- information that you must adhere to
Runway Hold Position Signs- Tells you where to hold short of
Location Signs- Tells you where you are
Direction Signs- Tells you where you are going

14. Airport Lighting, Marking and Signage Systems
Destination signs- The destination of the route you are on
Information Signs - Give pilots information such as radio frequencies or procedures
Runway Distance Remaining Signs- just as it reads. In thousands of feet. A 4 would mean 4000 ft remaining ( this is the most important sign to a pilot)

15. Typical Airport Setup N
0 9
2 7
A/C
Parking
JP5 CT
HANGER FD
Terminal

16. Airport Design
Knowing the airport layout is essential to the ARFF firefighter.
The Firefighter should also know the structures and topography of the airport
By knowing this and using Grid Maps the ARFF personnel will be able to select the fastest, most appropriate route to an emergency.

17. Grid Maps
Grid maps are marked with either rectangular coordinates or azimuth bearings.
Whichever is used, the grid map should cover an area from 5-15 mile radius from the Control Tower.
Traffic patterns and zones should be included.
Complete Up-to-Date copies should be furnished to tower personnel, Emergency response personnel and all others with legitimate interest.

18. Grid Maps Features such as streams and bridges should be on the map
Landmarks, roads and drainage systems should be on the map
Other maps such as utility and fuel spill indicator maps should also be used.

19. Airport Topography
Topography means features both natural and constructed
Knowing topography assist the firefighter in selecting routes to the scene of an emergency.
It assist is predicting fire spread at crashes

20. Airport Structures
As with any firefighter , the ARFF firefighter needs to be familiar with the structures on the airfield
Normally these structures are
Terminals- occupant unfamiliar with the building, limited egress points sometimes to aircraft operational areas
Jetways that connect the terminal to the aircraft and possible flame spread

21. Airport Structures
Baggage handling and storage areas are typically loaded with baggage and a maze for handlines
Aircraft Maintenance Facilities have various hazards such as flammable fuels, welding, electrical, radar systems repair, and other hazardous materials and procedures going on.

22. Airport Structures Other facilities and activities are:
Utilities- confined spaces, electrical and high voltage hazards
Air-Freight- stored Haz-Mat
Control Tower- Electrical, security, limited access and egress
Passenger transportation- subways, monorails elevators

23. Airport Structures
Multilevel parking structures- moving vehicles and fuel limited water supply and limited access to fire vehicles
Hotels, Motels, Restaurants- may be inside, attached to the terminal or located on the airport.

24. On Airport Navigation Aids
NAVAIDS are instruments used to provide point-to-point information to aircraft
ARFF vehicles parked in the area of the aids may interfere with the operation of the device

25. Roads and Bridges
ARFF personnel need to know the roads and other access features of the airport
What are their limitations
What are the capabilities
Will they support ARFF equipment

26. Airport Ramps
Airport ramps tend to be the most congested areas of the airfield. Mainly due to
Pedestrian Traffic
Fueling Operations
Service Vehicle Movements
High voltage electrical feeds to A\C
A/C Maintenance operations
Hazardous Materials being shipped or moved

27. Airport Ramps Be observant on the ramp apron area
Do not park behind aircraft
Observe low vehicles such as tow vehicles and tugs, baggage loaders, etc.
Watch for fueling vehicles
Watch out for FOD.
FOD will quickly turn a multimillion dollar aircraft into a multimillion dollar prop.

28. Airport Ramps
Be careful when driving from off-pavement to the paved areas of the airport, vehicle wheels carry FOD onto the ramp area.
Observe the Airport Areas. By observing these areas the Firefighter will gain an awareness of the happenings of the airport.

29. Controlled Access Points
These areas are designated with solid red lines or broken red/white lines
They help eliminate unnecessary traffic from certain areas.
Usually, there will be security control of these areas

30. Fences and Gates
Airports require fences to protect the aircraft and people who fly in them
These fences also hamper ARFF response to certain areas on or off the airport

31. Fences and Gates
Because of this, firefighters need to know how to exit the fence-line.
To exit the fence, use frangible gates
These gates will breakaway easily when struck by the ARFF vehicle

32. Designated Isolation Areas
This is an area where aircraft having problems and carrying hazardous cargo such as Haz-Mat or weapons can be isolated from the rest of the airport

33. Water Supply
Water supply comes fixed systems and static supply (lakes, streams, pools) Due to the size of some airports and the limits of the water supply the firefighter may have to bring his own in tenders and tankers

34. Fuel Storage and Distribution
Large amounts of fuel are used daily at airports
The ARFF firefighter needs to know about the fuel storage on the airport and how it is distributed

35. Fueling Operations
Fuel is brought to the airport in trucks, railcar or pipeline
Fuel is stored in tanks either above or below ground.
It may be piped directly to the aircraft or delivered in fueling vehicles
However it gets to the aircraft, the firefighter needs to understand the safety surrounding fueling operations

36. Fueling Operations
Fuel operations are the number one fire prevention concern on airports
Fuel comes either by underground piping to a fuel hydrant at each gate, there a fuel truck connects to the hydrant to pump the fuel.
The aircraft may be fueled at a fueling Island, much like a car at a gas station

37. Fueling Operations The most common method of fuel is by tanker truck
These trucks have capacities ranging from 500 – 10,000 gal. of fuel
Personnel fueling the aircraft must use a “Dead man switch”
This shuts down the operation during an emergency or if the fueler is incapacitated

38. Fueling Operations
Due to static charge buildup during fueling operations the operation should be grounded.
The NFPA does not require the grounding to a static ground node, but may request it of the carrier
For safety reasons must carriers do this

39. Fueling Operations
The fuel is loaded to the aircraft in one of two ways
Using a single point that allows fueling of all onboard fuel tanks,such as in larger aircraft. Or,
Over the wing, filling each tank separately as in smaller aircraft

40. Fueling Operations Hazards
Airlines require that aircraft be readied quickly, this may cause corner cutting in safety
Circumventing fuel shut-off devices, poorly maintained equipment and over filling are some of the hazards ARFF firefighters may encounter

41. Fueling Operations Hazards
Fuel vapors are another hazard
As an aircraft is fueled vapors are forced out vent tanks
Therefore, explosive vapor-air mixtures can form around the aircraft and fuel truck/operation
The ARFF Firefighter must remove any Ignition Sources

42. Fueling Operations Ignition Sources
Due to the hazardous environment around an aircraft, possible ignition sources must be eliminated
These sources are static and electromagnetic
Static charges build up on surfaces during fueling operations
The aircraft should be bonded with the fueling truck to equalized the static charge

43. Fueling Operations Ignition Sources
Electro-magnetic electricity comes from radar, radio, and telephone sources
These devices should not be used during fueling operations
Open flames should also not be permitted within 50’ of an aircraft
This means smoking as well

44. Fueling Operations Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers of the proper size and type should be used around aircraft
The distance between extinguishers should be no more than 100’ apart or 100’ from the aircraft being serviced

45. Fueling Operations Drainage Systems
In most airports drainage is designed to handle spilled fuel
But fuel should not be allowed to flow directly into sewer systems
The ARFF firefighter should know the drainage at the airport