scope:

In accordance with the provisions of Annex 14 - Aerodromes, Volume I - Aerodrome Design and Operations, States are required to provide rescue and firefighting equipment and services at an airport. The purpose of the material in this Manual is to assist States in the implementation of these specifications and thereby help to ensure their uniform application.

The methodology for rescue and firefighting at an aerodrome is based on the critical area concept developed by the Rescue and Fire Fighting Panel and adopted by ICAO via Amendment No. 30 to Annex 14 in 1976. The concept is based on the critical area to be protected in any post-accident fire situation with the objective of creating and maintaining survivable conditions, providing egress routes for aircraft occupants and to initiate the rescue of those occupants unable to make their escape without direct aid.

The third edition of this Manual was produced in 1990. It has been updated in 2014 as a result of a series of amendments to Annex 14, Volume I, up to and including Amendment 11. This fourth edition incorporates changes and additions resulting from an overall review by the Secretariat. Significant additions/revisions to the Manual as a result of this revision are:

a) the introduction of the new principal extinguishing agent ie. performance level C foam (Chapter 2, updated test protocol in Chapter 8);

b) guidance on the use of a task resource analysis in determining the minimum number of rescue and firefighting personnel (Chapter 10);

c) updated procedures for aircraft rescue and firefighting (Chapter 12, including training in Chapter 14);

d) guidance on preventive maintenance of vehicles and rescue equipment (Chapter 17);

e) guidance on human factors principles in rescue and firefighting (Chapter 18);

f) downloadable and up-to-date crash charts for commonly used aircraft by electronic linkage to aircraft manufacturers' website (Appendix 1)

The content of the Manual was developed over a period of several years with input from the Rescue and Fire Fighting Working Group of the Aerodromes Panel. The working group included aerodrome rescue and fire fighting experts, airports and pilot representative organizations and aircraft manufacturers. The manual was thereafter submitted for an extensive peer review to collect and take into account comments from the expert community. It is intended that the Manual be kept up to date. Future editions will most likely be improved on the basis of experience gained and of comments and suggestions received from users of this manual. Therefore, readers are invited to give their views, comments and suggestions on this edition. These should be directed to the Secretary General of ICAO.