Airport Fire departments

Airport fire departments operate very differently from regular fire departments. They are usually stationed at the edge of the airport grounds and respond not only at the airport but in the surrounding area as well. Airport fire stations are very large because they carry some of the biggest fire trucks you will ever see. They carry many different types of fire trucks depending on their location. on this post I will talk about the types of trucks at the station that I went to, Portland airport fire and rescue.

Engine 80

PAF&R carries a paramedic engine just like most other fire stations. However in airport fire fighting they are referred to as structual pumpers. They work just like a regular fire engine and respond to the same types of calls.

Rescue 880

Rescues ( Medic units )  Respond to Medical calls and can  transport patients from the airport to the hospital when Requested by the ambulance service. They respond to every medical call and are staffed by two paramedics.

ARFF truck 85

ARFF truck 86

ARFF truck 87

The control board inside ARFF truck 87

Aircraft rescue firefighting trucks (ARFF) are stationed at every airport fire station around the world. They come in various sizes and respond to plane crashes and airport fires. ARFF trucks carry three types of liquid for putting out plane fires: water, foam, and halon. ARFF trucks can carry up to four people but takes only one person to operate it. inside the trucks are cameras for sensing heat, and communication equipment so the crew can receive calls, communicate with air traffic control, and talk to one another.

Heavy Squad 881

Command center inside squad 881

Squads are used at airports for advanced medical calls and disaster rescue incidents. They also have a command center behind the cab for controlling large scale calls and disasters. See my post on heavy squads for more information.

Utility 806

PAF&R also responds to water rescue calls because they are stationed very close to the Columbia River. Their boat is kept at the docks so the fire fighters respond in a special truck called a Utility vehicle.

PAF&R also have several reserve units.