Fire crews conduct emergency training at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
Firefighters at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport took part in specialized training on Monday, designed to prepare crews for emergencies that most departments never face.
The Minneapolis Airport Fire Department ran through Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) drills on a mobile training unit. The training is required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and is unique to airports that manage incoming and outgoing aircraft.
"This is pretty unique for us at the airport, where we have this specialty training, and it's aircraft Rescue [and] firefighting," said Mark Watczak, of the Minneapolis Airport Fire Department.
The exercises started with smaller "pan fires" and gradually moved into full-scale drills inside a mock aircraft. Firefighters used powerful bumper and roof turrets mounted on their trucks to simulate an initial attack on aircraft fires.
"We start out with a lot of hand line training, and eventually we work ourselves into the trucks," Watczack said. "This allows them to get that water on the fire early on."
This year, multiple incidents across the country — including runway collisions and emergency landings — have underscored the importance of this kind of preparation. Watczak says the crews at MSP are ready.
"MSP firefighters are highly trained," he said. "As the 18th busiest airport, they're exceptionally trained and well-versed in any sort of scenario, whether it's a structural fire or an aircraft incident."
In total, 16 firefighters participated in this week's drill. Watczak says the department continues to run additional training sessions throughout the year to stay sharp and meet all federal requirements.
"We're just here as a measure to ensure that we fortify that safety," he said.
