Airport Rescue and Firefighting Research Program

The analysis of recent aircraft accidents involving external fuel fires has shown that although external fires are effectively extinguished, fires within the aircraft fuselage are difficult to control with existing equipment and procedures. Large amounts of smoke-laden toxic gases and high temperature levels in the passenger cabin can cause delays in evacuation and pose a severe safety hazard to fleeing passengers. Firefighters put themselves at great personal risk when attempting to extinguish any interior fire using hand-held attack lines.

The Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) R&D Program is currently expanding the capabilities of the National Airport Fire-Extinguishing Agent Performance Test Facility located at the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center. The test facility consists of three parts:

• A full-scale, ground spill fire facility for testing new fire-extinguishing agents. That facility retains waste and spent fuel without endangering the environment.
• A full-scale aircraft facility with a planned second-level passenger configuration for testing new equipment, firefighting tactics, and strategies.
• The FAA's advanced, high-performance rescue research vehicle (HPRV) with its 55-foot elevated boom and cabin skin penetration system.

Below are the links to sub articles on Aircraft Fire Safety:
Airport Rescue and Firefighting Research Program
Elevated Waterway and Cabin Skin Penetration Technology
Back to Main Aircraft Fire Safety Article