scope:

INTRODUCTION

The principal objective of an RFF (rescue and firefighting) service is to save lives in the event of an aircraft accident or incident occurring at, or in the immediate vicinity of, an airport. The RFF service is provided to create and maintain survivable conditions, to provide egress routes for occupants and to initiate the rescue of those occupants unable to make their escape without direct aid.

This service must assume at all times the possibility of and need for extinguishing a fire which may:

a) exist at the time an aircraft is landing, taking off, taxiing, parked, etc.; or

b) occur immediately following an aircraft accident or incident; or

c) occur at any time during rescue operations.

The rupture of fuel tanks in an aircraft crash and the consequent spillage of highly volatile fuels, and other flammable liquids used by aircraft, present a high degree of probability of ignition if these liquids come into contact with hot metal parts of the aircraft or because of sparks caused by the movement of wreckage or disturbance of the electrical circuit. Fires may also occur through the discharge of accumulated electrostatic charges at the time of ground contact or during fuelling operations. A distinctive characteristic of aircraft fires is their tendency to reach lethal intensity within a very short time. This presents a severe hazard to the lives of those directly involved and can hamper rescue or evacuation efforts.

For this reason, the provision of adequate and special means of dealing promptly with an aircraft accident or incident occurring at, or in the immediate vicinity of, an airport assumes primary importance because it is within this time frame that there are the greatest opportunities of saving lives.

The extent of aircraft fires which may affect rescue is influenced largely by the quantity and disposition of fuel carried by the aircraft and the location of any fuel released as a result of the accident or incident.

Emergency exits and their ability to be opened from the inside and outside of an aircraft is of primary importance in rescue and evacuation operations. The provision of special tools for rescue crews in order to gain access to the interior of a fuselage is essential. However, their use can only be regarded as an extreme measure to be taken whenever normal means of access (including emergency exits) are unavailable or unsuitable for use.

The most important factors bearing on effective rescue in a survivable aircraft accident is the training received, the effectiveness of the equipment and the speed with which personnel and equipment, designated for RFF purposes, can be deployed.

The proposals set out hereunder concerning these services are intended as a general guide, to be applied to the fullest extent practicable.