The goal is that ARFF is always available and rarely needed, but when called to service responds effectively in dangerous situations. The training component, whether visible or invisible, to the public is crucial in keeping the firefighters focused on making quick decisions.” “ARFF plays a critical role in ensuring that travelers flying in and out of our airports have the highest level of protection.
“Public safety is a top priority for the Port Authority,” said Chief Security Officer John Bilich. Each officer assigned to ARFF is a Federal Aviation Administration-certified aircraft rescue firefighter and must requalify twice annually, which exceeds FAA requirements. Then, they strapped on 70 pounds of fire protective gear before extinguishing fires in the engine, wheel well and wing while initiating a rescue operation, all within seconds.ĪRFF is a unique unit of the Port Authority Aviation Department, staffed and operated by police officers trained to serve as firefighters responding to emergencies with aircraft. What the passengers didn’t know is that the fire was a training session aboard a replica aircraft, used to train members of the Port Authority’s elite Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Unit (ARFF).ĭuring the training exercise, ARFF team members battled the blaze using specialized trucks equipped with foam and hundreds of gallons of water.
Kennedy International Airport on a recent Monday may have been startled by the sight of a plane engulfed in flames on the runway. By Lenis Rodrigues, Media Relations Staff
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