Firefighters train with aircraft simulator set on fire

The Merced Fire Department this week is putting firefighters through a training using a mock aircraft that’s set ablaze.

Firefighters will learn how to rescue passengers, set up proper evacuation paths, deal with visibility issues such as thick smoke and what the logistics of the crash are, depending on the crash site, said Battalion Chief Cory Haas.

They’ll also learn how to operate a special aircraft rescue firefighting vehicle, which carries more water and foam and flows water differently. The Federal Aviation Administration requires fire departments to have one of the vehicles, which is kept at Station 52 at the Merced Regional Airport.

On Wednesday, firefighters practiced using the specialized vehicles to put out controlled flames that consumed a mock aircraft. On the outside of an aircraft, jet fuel tends to cause fire that’s more volatile. For training purposes, firefighters use propane that’s contained in pans, Haas said.

“The internal firefighting efforts focus on products of combustion, similar to a home or automobile,” Haas said.

The entire Fire Department will complete the training, using tactics called Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting, or ARFF, by Thursday.

The fire department brings in a special mock aircraft approved by the FAA that has passenger seats, representation of the landing gear, and wing and tail engines. The aircraft is a mock unit from Kellogg Community College in Michigan that agencies across the country use rather than traveling to complete the training.

“With the mobile unit, crews can train on their own equipment, and it’s less costly to the city and airport,” said Joe Teixeira, a program coordinator for AARF and Kellogg Community College.

The training is one of many mandatory sessions the firefighters must complete yearly, Haas said.

This story was originally published October 5, 2016 at 4:34 PM with the headline "Firefighters train with aircraft simulator set on fire."