09/25/2011 – ARFF Training       

Fourteen Colleton County Firefighters, with one Firefighter from the City of Charleston, one from Hilton Head Fire-Rescue and two from Dorchester County attended the two day SC Fire Academy Municipal Approach to Aircraft Firefighting this past weekend. The classroom portion was held Saturday at Station # 19 with the practical evolutions conducted at the Fire Academy in Columbia on Sunday. Personnel learned the standards of airport layouts, how to read the signs and pavement markings and about the configuration of civilian and military aircraft. On Sunday, firefighters practiced extinguishing fires inside the aircraft prop at the Fire Academy with scenarios involving a galley fire, a passenger compartment fire, wheel assembly and engine fire. The afternoon session consisted of a simulated crash where firefighters had to extinguish the onboard fires and rescue seven victims. Due to the configuration and construction of aircraft, the firefighting techniques differ from that of structural firefighting.  The students learned a great deal and a new perspective on firefighting and rescue techniques.