Authors

By Alan Petrillo The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) wants to have diverse groups in its committees that review and suggest changes to standards in order to include as wide a variety as possible of different interest categories. When it comes to the committee charged with handling NFPA 414, Standard for Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Vehicles, the committee is made ...

By William Greenwood This month I wanted to review some basic ARFF tactics regarding combating small hidden compartmentalized fires. Compartmentalized fires in the ARFF industry can range from fires involving larger cargo holds and cargo shipping containers to the smaller and limited access areas of the interior lavatory, cabinets, food service galley, and many other hidden void spaces within the ...

By William Greenwood Airline passengers know the benefits of the over-the-wing exit each time they board to fly. The flight attendants do an exceptional job during the preflight safety briefing to explain the location and operation of the aircraft exits. Aircraft rescue firefighters often have been educated on the same things, except our focus is primarily based from looking at ...

By William Greenwood With the advent of the thermal imaging camera (TIC), technology has given us the ability to see again. That alone is an amazing feat and provides an increased level of safety. But as with any technology, it also comes with challenges that some operators might not know about. We all know and understand how important a TIC ...

By William Greenwood Airport and structural firefighters working around small aircraft today have myriad hazards they must contend with. Technology is constantly evolving in the aircraft industry, and so must the knowledge base of our first responders. Maintaining a high level of training and situational awareness is critical for firefighter safety. This month we will discuss how modern technology has ...

By William Greenwood Many civilian airport fire chiefs are struggling to fund their operating budgets, and personal protective equipment (PPE) in the industry is one of those line items that must be funded. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspects all Part 139 airport fire departments annually, and one of the highly scrutinized areas of the inspection is firefighter PPE. The ...

By William Greenwood Aircraft composite materials (ACM) are widely used in the aircraft industry and have allowed engineers the ability to create shapes and smoothness that affords greater aerodynamics while maintaining strength. There are a few concerns with these materials when ARFF stations respond to crashes and/or fire. The first is the rapid burn rate at which some of these ...