|
Aircraft Rescue Firefighters practice real-life scenarios
Posted: 04.17.2012 at 8:57 PM
|
Downstate firefighters were at the airport with an aircraft fire simulator, hosting the Federal Aviation Administration-required training session
GWINN -- Aircraft Rescue Firefighters were busy at Sawyer International Airport Tuesday afternoon as they had their yearly fire safety workshop.
Downstate firefighters were at the airport with an aircraft fire simulator, hosting the Federal Aviation Administration-required training session.
"This actually provides them the most realistic training without having the plane crash and without having people being hurt and possibly even killed. This is the realest training that we can actually come up with. This really provides them everything they may encounter with a real aircraft accident," said firefighter instructor Dan Owen.
The group started out with basic classroom training, then moved onto the real life scenarios.
The workshop had mock exterior, interior, and fuel fires, and the firefighters had to put them out quick as possible.
Then, they headed into the plane to work with life-sized dummies. Firefighters put on a fireproof coat and try to get passengers out of the plane as quickly as possible.
"We want to make sure we're ready in the event that an aircraft incident were to happen; we want to be prepared. We hope it never happens. We hope this training never gets put to use, but if we're needed, we want to be ready and be prepared," said Fire Chief Robert Cochran.
The instructors say that if there ever is a fire on an airplane, passengers should always listen to the air crew.