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Grand Canyon airport fire personnel stay on top of training game

Grand Canyon Airport fire personnel practice suppressing a fire on a model airplane. Although most fires on the model are controlled by computer, fires can break out on their own, adding a sense of realism to the exercise.  (Photo/ADOT)

Grand Canyon Airport fire personnel practice suppressing a fire on a model airplane. Although most fires on the model are controlled by computer, fires can break out on their own, adding a sense of realism to the exercise. (Photo/ADOT)

PHOENIX — Firefighters need regular training to be ready for emergencies, and that goes for the seven firefighters assigned to the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Grand Canyon National Park Airport in Tusayan.

Recently, ADOT’s firefighters traveled to the San Bernardino Regional Emergency Training Center, where trainees benefit from life-size models that simulate hazards ranging from a plane with overheated brakes to a fire in the passenger cabin.

“This type of training keeps our firefighters at the ready,” said Matt Smith, manager of the Grand Canyon Airport. “In the event of a crash or other emergency, lives are on the line and every second counts.”

Serving more than 336,000 passengers in 2017, the last year for which figures are available, Grand Canyon National Park Airport serves as a local hub for tourists wishing to experience the park via air tours. The airport hosts six air-tour companies that fly visitors over the canyon, hosts a skydiving company and sees daily commercial flights from airlines based in the Las Vegas region.

ADOT’s firefighters, who live in housing at the facility, respond to an average of 60 calls per year. The airport is the state’s fourth-busiest in terms of passengers served.

To make sure its firefighters are ready for those calls, ADOT has sent them to training within Arizona and to New Mexico, Utah and, now, California.

Even during exercises, firefighters must take great care. While fires on the aircraft models are controlled by computer, fires can break out on their own. This adds a sense of realism to the training exercise, and trainees must use caution and safety practices as they would in a real emergency.

During training, firefighters’ vital signs are measured throughout the day to ensure everyone is fit and healthy.

“We pursue excellence in everything we do, especially critical firefighting skills,” Smith said. “There is no substitute for the experience gained from live-action training.”

Grand Canyon Airport has three fire rescue vehicles, including a truck with a Schnozzle, a piece of equipment that can puncture an aircraft fuselage and spray 1,500 gallons of fire-suppressing foam or 500 pounds of dry chemical extinguishing powder.

Information provided by ADOT


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