"It was as if the airplane fell into an air pocket. Then we only felt heavy shocks," said one passenger. "After the airplane hit the ground several times, I suddenly saw flames under my feet," said another survivor. "Suddenly panic broke out. You could only hear passengers screaming and I desperately ran to the emergency exits," said one woman. "The flames were higher than I am. Some people’s hair caught fire and they ran in panic because there was even a fire next to the emergency exit."

Facts show that most airplane accidents occur during take-off or landing. Generally, these crashes take place in the jurisdiction of the airport or in the surrounding communities, and are often survivable.

Most airport emergency services (ARFF) are prepared, or at least aware, of how to deal with a downed aircraft (fuel fire, fuselage, evacuation routes, specific hazards), but the outside communities, including the structural fire, rescue and EMS services, often have neither the experience or the knowledge needed.

I. Airplane crash outside the airport fence

When an airplane with 300 passengers crashes ten miles outside of an airport, local emergency services are the first to respond. Structural fire departments and community emergency services do not have the experience, training, or knowledge to successfully fight 50,000 gallons of burning fuel and are thus presented with a situation they are not familiar with.

A fuel fire, where flames can reach up to one hundred feet, is overwhelming to even seasoned airport fire personnel. Although these flames look inextinguishable, they can be readily extinguished in minutes with proper equipment and techniques (foam). In addition, community emergency services may not be aware that an outside fuel fire goes through a passenger jet metal skin in approximately ninety seconds. They have almost no practice on how to reach the inside of the fuselage or how to rescue trapped survivors, much less how to adequately ventilate an aircraft in order to protect passengers from deadly smoke. Because they will only have minutes or seconds to react, it is vital that local services be thoroughly trained and well prepared.

Community fire services may believe there is little or no risk of an airplane crashing in their community and may question why is it beneficial to receive additional training, especially when they may already be overloaded with many tasks and other performance duties. However, it is impossible to predict airline disasters and it is so important to be prepared for the worst.

The first fire engine to arrive must know the main objective - rapid fire control at the fuselage. This is essential for the survivability of the people aboard. This procedure must be done immediately. It is imperative to understand that only rapid fire control will create an evacuation route for the survivors.

For this purpose, it is beneficial for both airport fire departments and the surrounding community fire services to take the time to educate and be educated. The airport authority will definitely need to be contacted for permission to conduct such training, but airport authorities should be more than interested in lending their full support. After all, when airplanes crash on take-off or landing, the airport’s reputation is at stake.

An otherwise unacceptable situation can be greatly improved by implementing a cooperative program between the airport authority and local emergency services. As an airport fire service or authority, it would be worthwhile to your facility to invite all the surrounding fire departments, rescue, and ambulance services to your location at least once a year. Familiarize them with:

1. the basic principles and techniques of fuel fire fighting,

2. aircraft design, including the different compartments and materials,

3. location of fuel tanks, engines and exits, and finally

4. exterior openings of exits, evacuation slides, and forcible entry into the fuselage.

Make them aware of all the hazards first responders will experience.

Train them in the 4 C’s for dealing with a multi-casualty incident:

Stay Calm

Communicate

Coordinate

Command

Command Post FD Orange County
Full Scale Exercise at John Wayne Airport, CA 1998

How do you get "conventional" emergency people to the airport? Like most of the population, they are very attracted to airplanes and airport facilities. The notion of human flight is something that fascinates everyone. Most, if not all, participants would appreciate the opportunity to visit an airport and be educated about the planes. I suggest making the presentation and familiarization fun. It is also important to introduce the theoretical material in an enjoyable manner, showing the crash trucks and airplanes.

Visit at Indianapolis Airport Fire Service, 1999

Not only will the local emergency services be affected by their newfound awareness that an airplane accident can indeed happen in their community, but they will feel secure in the knowledge that they have received a basic training which will enable them to respond quickly and effectively.

II. Airplane crash inside the airport fence

Inside the fence, it is the jurisdiction of the airport rescue and fire services (ARFF). They should be trained, prepared, and experienced in dealing with such an event within the first minutes, but their success or failure depends on their assistance from outside resources. They can begin extinguishing the fire in order to rescue people, but for the most part they are neither equipped nor staffed to handle the whole incident themselves. Assistance is needed from outside fire, EMS, and other emergency services for: hooking up the water supply, providing enough personnel and equipment for rescue operations, and transporting injured victims first, to triage areas and then, to appropriate hospitals.

Outside agencies must be taught and trained as to what their rules and responsibilities are when an airplane crash occurs (i.e.: the "dos and don’ts"). It is the duty of the airport to provide this vital resource and training. Unassigned crews rushing to the accident scene without proper protective equipment is dangerous to the incident site’s efficiency as well as to other rescue professionals. The assisting departments should only fulfill assigned tasks and not work on their own. "Freelancing" will create chaos/confusion and is always counter-productive. Even the fire pumper that will provide the airport crash vehicles with water supply needs to be specifically assigned.

The FAA requires airports to have a full-scale exercise at least every three years. It would be wise to invite all of the surrounding emergency providers to be participants in this event and let them ascertain what their responsibilities and duties will be. They need to be aware of how crucial staging is, instead of rushing directly to the scene without assignment. In addition, the chain of command should be made clear; everyone should know who reports to them, as well as whom they report to.

It is also important to make everybody aware that an aircraft accident scene is like a Haz-Mat area. It is absolutely necessary that they have the proper training and equipment is used.

In the U.S. most fire departments are aware of ICS and use it. This significantly reduces the chaos that comes as a result of having freelancing first responders. But very often EMS services, in particular, are neither familiar with, nor trained in ICS. It’s a common scenario, even during airport exercises, that ambulance crews rush to the victims without personal protective equipment, load them on their stretcher, and rush them to a hospital. Airport fire services must teach emergency crews that they have to work on assignment, rather than rushing in with unorganized help.

EMS Operations at John Wayne Airport, CA 1998

Stay in contact - at the very least.

This is a changing world. If things happen to the airport that will effect response or rescue efforts (construction areas, traffic detours etc.), be sure to inform outside departments immediately. Maintain a regular information exchange via Fax or e-mail regarding these changes.

Common problems:

• Lack of training. Outside agencies are not familiar with the airport infrastructure, the designated staging areas and how to reach them.





• Lack of planning. Staging areas and assistance operations are not designated.





• Lack of communication. Outside agencies do not know to whom they report, and who reports to them.





• Lack of coordination: "Freelancing"; agencies begin fire, rescue, or medical operations without being assigned to and without knowledge of the IC.

Solutions:

• Implement mutual training and exercises on a regular basis, including airport and aircraft familiarization.





• Designate staging areas and immediate installation of staging officer (Staging is the exclusive resource)





• Allow sole access to units with specific assignments




• Establish a recognizable command post, with clear communication and radio control



• Establish comprehensive ICS. Make all command functions unambiguous and visible (vests)

Checklist:

All units with jurisdiction adjacent to an airport or its arrival and traffic pattern should have an Airplane Crash Checklist (ACC). This checklist should be laminated, put into every glove compartment, and follow the KISS principle (Keep it simple, Stupid).

It should include:

• Grid-map of the airport and the designated staging areas



• The specifically assigned radio frequency



• Priorities, do’s and don’ts at an aircraft accident scene



• Rapid fire control at the fuselage from upwind is essential



• Never approach without PPE



• No freelancing: Always work inside established ICS

Hazards:

• Kerosene fuel could always ignite



• Sharp metal debris could cut



• Engine force could blast objects/people away



• Damaged aircraft structures could collapse and/or rollover



• The Unknowns: radioactive materials, chemicals, biological samples, and other Hazmats.

The initial impact of an airplane accident is often survivable, as seen by the American Airlines Flight 1420 crash in Little Rock, Arkansas. The final decision of life or death for the occupants is made by fast and skilled response. The only solution to saving lives and reducing the pain for our families, for our friends, for our colleagues and the people we do not even know jet, is joint planning and training, and a comprehensive emergency program. We are in charge of making the difference and we should take that matter very seriously.

published in ARFF News Vol. 10 No. 4 ( July / August 1999 issue )

About the author:

Gunnar J. Kuepper is Chief of Operations with Los Angeles-based Emergency and Disaster Management, Inc. He is a member of the ARFFwg and serves as special expert on the NFPA Technical Committee 1600 "Disaster Management". He can be reached at (310) 284-3194 or gjk@emergency-management.net