If you do not have two firefighters for entry, and two for a safety line, you do not enter an aircraft (or structure). I work at a Index A airport, working under Part 139 rules and regulations. Staffing is not mentioned in the 139, only extinguishing agent requirements. After normal working hours and weekends, we may have three ARFF responders, in the evening two, and overnight one. With this being said our operation can run into some hard decisions. Your own safety comes first, but your intuition as a firefighter is to help those in need.
You and your partner respond to a aircraft accident, people are in the aircraft that can't get themselves out. Mutual Aids are five minutes or more away, what do you do? Risk over Benefit...
Are you putting yourself in danger? Are you following policies and procedures? Are you going to be disciplined?
Are you going to sit there and watch people in need, while you wait for two or three other responders to arrive? Is putting the "wet stuff on the hot stuff"(water on fire) going to be sufficient. Is putting the "White stuff on the red stuff" (foam on fire) going to be enough for you to feel like to gave it your all.
I don't claim to have the answers to all these questions. As Firefighters you are up against a hard task. Aircraft burn very fast, within 90 seconds it could burn to ashes. Aviation fuels are very dangerous to handle. As the people are running away, we are running in.
As you make decisions based on this topic, think them through. Start today, when an aircraft emergency may arise it should not be the first time this topic was discussed.
We all have families that want us to come home the way we left. Review your Operating Guidelines, talk with the people on your shift, have a plan in place for when it happens.

Not If It Happens, When It Happens!!!

As we continue our Safety Self-Inspection Series, we will turn our focus to Part 139.309, Safety Areas. All runways and taxiways available for Part 139 Air Carrier Aircraft must have an established safety area. Tab five in your approved Airport Certification Manual will explain your inspection procedures, and state your safety area dimensions.

§ 139.309 Safety areas.
Each certificate holder must maintain its safety areas as follows:
(1) Each safety area must be cleared and graded and have no potentially hazardous ruts, humps, depressions, or other surface variations.
(2) Each safety area must be drained by grading or storm sewers to prevent water accumulation.
(3) Each safety area must be capable under dry conditions of supporting snow removal and aircraft rescue and firefighting equipment and of supporting the occasional passage of aircraft without causing major damage to the aircraft.
(4) No objects may be located in any safety area, except for objects that need to be located in a safety area because of their function. These objects must be constructed, to the extent practical, on frangibly mounted structures of the lowest practical height, with the frangible point no higher than 3 inches above grade.
(c) FAA Advisory Circulars contain methods and procedures for the configuration and maintenance of safety areas acceptable to the Administrator.
A/C 150/5300-13 Airport Designs
A/C 150/5320-5 Airport Drainage

As stated above, safety areas must remain clear of all objects other then those deemed necessary by the FAA. After construction activity in or near a safety area, an inspection of the area shall be performed. Construction work is allowed in a safety area, but no closer then 200ft off the centerline of the runway, if a NOTAM is issued.
Use caution when inspection your safety areas, after rain/snow is not the best time to drive in those areas. We do not want to cause any damage.

Safety Area Inspections are a key component in your Self Inspection Program, also for the safety on your airfield.

In our next post of the "Safety Inspection Program" we will discuss Part 139.311 Markings, Signs, and Lighting.


DON'T JUST GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS!

Aviation Tutorials has an excellent interactive driver training cd-rom, available at www.avtutorials.com. This program will cost $29.oo, well worth the money.
Click on the photo for a screen shot.

Here is a link to see the NEW AIRBUS A380 landing in LAX.

Click here to view the Video.

The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, four-engined airliner manufactured by EADS (Airbus S.A.S.) It first flew on 27 April 2005 from Toulouse, France. Commercial flights are scheduled to begin in late 2007 after lengthy delays. During much of its development phase, the aircraft was known as the Airbus A3XX. The nickname Superjumbo has become associated with the A380.
The A380's upper deck extends along the entire length of the fuselage. This allows for a spacious cabin with 50% more floor space than the next largest airliner, the Boeing 747-400, and provides seating for 555 people in standard three-class configuration or up to 853 people in full economy class configuration.[1] Two models of the A380 are available for sale. The A380-800, the passenger model, is the largest passenger airliner in the world,[2] superseding the Boeing 747. The other model, the A380-800F, if built, will be one of the largest freight aircraft and will have a payload capacity exceeded only by the Antonov An-225.[3] The A380-800 has a maximum range of 15,000 kilometres (8,000 nm, sufficient to fly from Chicago to Sydney nonstop), and a cruising speed of Mach 0.85 (about 900 km/h or 560 mph at cruise altitude).[2]
Due to long delays in production of the A380, two customers cancelled their orders and several launch customers deferred delivery, or considered switching their order to the competing Boeing 747-8 and 777F aircraft, at significant cost to Airbus.[4][5]

As you respond to a emergency call from the Air Traffic Control Tower, you are told that the aircraft in question is on a two mile left base for the active runway. Do you know how much time that gives you to get your emergency vehicles in place, contact your mutual aids, and have your crew prepared for this situation?

The point I am getting at is, you should know your traffic patterns for your runways. Time is not always on your side.
Not only you, but your mutual aids should be familiar with the airfield. Some structural departments are the ARFF crew for a particular airport, others respond to the airport at the request of the ARFF department on the field. Everyone accessing the airfield in an emergency situation should be familiar with the layout and topography.

Part 139 ARFF crews have annual mandatory training, including Airport Familiarization. Invite your structural departments, take the time to show them around the airfield.

Every time I see this sign I wonder many things.
Who made the sign? Last I looked a compass went up to 360! Who installed the sign, I hope it was for training purposes? Is it included in your sign plan? How confusing could this really be. ATC tells you to Hold Short of 33-15, might you enter into an active runway?

I'm sure this situation was corrected right after the picture was taken. We need to pay close attention during our inspections. As we get accustomed to our airfield, seeing a Hold Position Sign at this location would be normal. If you don't look closely, or driving 75mph you may not pick-up on this discrepancy.

Please take you time doing the Field Inspection, you never know what you'll find!

Don't Just Go Through The Motions!

In part one of this series, we spoke about the basic components of your Safety Self-Inspection program. In part 2 we will discuss Part 139.305, Paved Areas. It is Important to know the Part 139 regulations, and the standards in your approved ACM. Finding the discrepencies is one thing, understanding them, and dealing with them properly is another. All of the rules and regulations are based on the safety of your airfield and those that use it.

When you are inspecting your airfield it consist of more then driving down the runway at a high rate of speed. Yes, sometimes Air Traffic Control (ATC) rush us, or are we allowing them to rush us. We have a job to do and that is to make sure the airfield is safe to be used regardless of the time it takes to complete the duties.

Part 139.305

The certificate holder (The Airport) must maintain, and promptly repair the pavement of, each runway, taxiway, loading ramp, and parking area on the airport that is available for air carrier use.
The pavement edges must not exceed 3 inches difference in elevation between abutting pavement sections and between pavement and abutting areas.
The pavement must have no hole exceeding 3 inches in depth nor any hole the slope of which from any point in the hole to the nearest point at the lip of the hole is 45 degrees or greater, as measured from the pavement surface plane, unless, in either case, the entire area of the hole can be covered by a 5-inch diameter circle.
The pavement must be free of cracks and surface variations that could impair directional control of air carrier aircraft, including any pavement cracks or surface deterioration that produces loose aggregate or other contaminants.
Mud, dirt, sand, loose aggregate, debris, foreign objects, rubber deposits, and other contaminants must be removed promptly and as completely as practicable.

Foreign Object Debris(FOD), needs to be removed immediately. The areas causing the FOD should be monitored and kept clear of FOD until the pavement can be repaired. Pavement breaking up is not the only cause of FOD. Trash, maintenance tools, aircraft and vehicle parts, also cause FOD, just to name a few. All these items can be and will be found on your airfield, and can cause damage to aircraft and injure people. Please pick them up when spotted.

The pavement must be sufficiently drained and free of depressions to prevent ponding that obscures markings or impairs safe aircraft operations.

Weeds need to be completely removed and the cracks need sealing to prevent week growth & deterioration of the pavement.

The "Paser" program that will help you evaluate your pavement conditions. As we know, pavement/concrete is essential for aircraft and vehicles to move about the airfield.
Here are the links to the Paser manuals.
Concrete Airfield Pavement Paser Manual
Asphalt Airfield Pavement Paser Manual

Inspecting the pavement is an essential part of your Daily Self-Inspection Program. Pay close attention to slowly deteriorating areas. No safety issue is to small to report.

In our next post of the "Safety Self-Inspection Program" we will discuss Part 139.307, Safety Areas.

Don't Just Go Through The Motions!