FAA First Responder Training
Over the past several years, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been putting together an online course for the first responder community and recently, the course was rolled out.
Module 6: (in development) This module will address safely working around a running helicopter, including landing zone selection, hazard areas around a running helicopter, and landing zone protocol.
Additional first responder safety information from the individual manufacturers is being collected by the General Aviation Manufacturer Association. GAMA is in the process of collecting this information (typically manufacturer links) and posting it on their website (linked below). These presentations are aircraft specific and outline the particular concerns and hazards presented by the manufacturer's aircraft. Another resource to explore is military aviation facilities. They can offer specific information on the type of aircraft based at their facility and also highlight any unique hazards (i.e. ordnance etc) and the proper handle for a first responder to deal with these challenges.
Although the training is geared towards first responders it should be noted that module five is specifically for those that might be tasked with initial rescue but do not immediately have available the equipment available that responding police, fire or EMS might have. This module would be ideal training for CERT teams etc that might happen upon an accident in the immediate moments after an incident/accident.
Ideally, this online training could be supplemented with hands-on training at a local airport. If the airport has an Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Team (ARFF) they are an excellent resource for this subject area. For those smaller airports that do not have a dedicated ARFF team, usually the local fire/police agency that covers the airport has some specialized training and/or equipment that could be useful. Some larger airports and fire academies have live fire simulators that simulate a burning aircraft. Although this live burn is normally an old airline fuselage, the online training coupled with the live fire training could provide the first responder with comprehensive, practical and useful information in responding to aircraft accidents/incidents.
Although legal authority to investigate and determine the cause of an accident lies with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the FAA, many agencies perform an official investigation of their own. Module three has a lot of useful information for investigators and covers such things as scene investigation and working with the FAA and NTSB.
Preparing for all emergencies is one of the many challenges faced by every agency. Fortunately aircraft accidents are very rare. However if and when they do occur, every first responder must have the knowledge, skills and abilities to safely and effectively respond to aircraft emergencies. This FAA online course goes a long way to providing this information.
