ICAO Rescue & Fire Fighting Meeting

Keith Bagot and Jeremy Casey of the Airport Technology Research & Development Branch (ATR) attended the 19^th meeting of the Rescue and Fire Fighting Working Group in Montreal, Canada, hosted by the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Aerodrome Design and Operations Panel. Marc Tonnacliff, ARFF Specialist of the FAA’s Airport Safety and Operations Branch, organized and ran the meeting.

The working group provides the opportunity for aviation safety leaders to exchange information, and connect on the latest research and developments from around the world. During the meeting, F3 transition discussions were held with representatives from countries that already transitioned. Australia discussed issues related to contaminated foam and foam concentrate needing to be rehydrated at times. The FAA provided information related to testing, current logistical issues regarding transitions, and how proportioning systems are handling F3s. Additional presentations included emergency response at water aerodromes, response needs for “plus” category aircraft (largest aircraft for a given category), and the need for prescriptive processes for established requirements. 

The meeting took place on June 20-23, with approximately twenty-five members in attendance representing six countries.

Keith Bagot | Keith.Bagot@faa.gov