Articles

Al Petrillo breaks down the components used on industrial and ARFF apparatus.

Al Petrillo examines ARFF units at various airports.

By Alan M. Petrillo The Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department has added an Oshkosh® Airport Products Striker® 8×8 ARFF (aircraft rescue and firefighting) truck to its fleet of fire apparatus at Sky Harbor International Airport. Wes Patterson, Phoenix Fire’s deputy chief, says Phoenix’s Sky Harbor ARFF fleet now consists of four frontline and two reserve ARFF trucks, with the newest 2021 ...

By William Greenwood This month let’s take a look at auxiliary power unit (APU) fires. The APU itself provides power to start the main engines. Heavy turbine compressors must be turned to a significant speed to start the engine. Before these engines are to be turned though, the APU must be started, generally done by a battery or hydraulic accumulator. ...

By Wesley Long Part 1 Applicable EM Theories The gap between theory and application in emergency management can be bridged with education and experience. A deep understanding of the various types of theories that can be found in emergency management and how they pertain to risk, planning, and resilience is essential in a successful risk assessment strategy. Below are a ...

By Wesley Long Part 2 When it comes to resilience within airport communities, there are very specific needs that should be considered. In this article, we will look at Miami, Florida, as an example that we can all identify, at least in part, with. Naturally the geographical location as well as past and present trends in weather events, political events, ...

By William Greenwood Has your ARFF Department readied personnel for the possibility of a cargo hold fire? Everyday when I come to work, I want my personnel to be operationally ready to respond. With the constant demand to meet minimum training requirements, the rapid advancements of technology can outrun the current training curriculums as set forth by some local jurisdictions. ...

A passenger jet crash-landed on a Russian runway on Sunday, killing at least 41. Video from the scene shows the plane bursting into flames as it touched down. Passengers worked to escape through two forward doors. However, at least 41 are reported dead. Click here for the latest via AP. Above: Video from inside the burning plane, courtesy of CNN.com.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 By Wesley Long Over the last several years there has been heightened security concerns regarding the potential use of setting wildfires as a weapon to be wielded by terrorist. This keeps popping up in intelligence circles and is a rather innovative approach to cause disruption and chaos that is both a low tech and ...

By William Greenwood On the cover, the situation seems pretty-straightforward, right? Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighters (ARFF) respond to the scene and witness smoke or fire coming from the main landing gear. But, understanding why these types of incidents occur is critically important to have well-educated and seasoned firefighters operating on multimillion dollar aircraft. Understanding the Why In the same way ...