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HomeMy WebLinkAbout202.015b - Aircraft Incidents and Accidents STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES MANUAL TACTICAL OPERATIONS 202.015b AIRCRAFT INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS EFFECTIVE: OCTOBER 2007 Current Revision Date: 4/21/21 Next Revision Date: 4/21/23 Author’s Name/Rank: Keola Park, Fire Captain Review Level: 2 Administrative Support: Evelyn Yin-Zepeda, Management Analyst II PURPOSE This purpose of this policy is to outline the responsibilities and actions to be taken in the event of an aircraft incident/accident and how it affects the airport in any of the following situations. APPLICATION The Fresno Fire Department (FFD) Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) units respond to aircraft incident/accident locations in accordance with the Fresno Yosemite International Airports (FYI) and Airport Emergency Plan (AEP). OPERATIONAL POLICY The FFD will follow the guidelines in Hazards Section C and D of the (AEP). The FFD will respond to an In-Flight or Airborne Emergency, Medical Emergency, and Ground Emergency. All responding units shall follow the Airports Emergency Services Letter of Agreement with the Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT). OPERATIONAL GUIDELINE Aircraft incidents and accidents are high-risk low frequency; however, all members responding to these types of emergencies should be familiar with the following objectives: Airport index FFD and ARFF responsibilities Airport communications Command structure Types of alerts and response descriptions Emergency phases EMS responsibilities Section 202.015b Page 1 of 10 Functions and duties Vehicle clearances and access to the emergency scene Runway and taxiway closures Security of the scene Airline participation Vehicle staging areas Injured/Uninjured accident victims PROCESS Index Determination: The largest air carrier aircraft currently operated at FYI is the Boeing-757 series. However, the airport ARFF Index is B, as determined by Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) 139.315. Aircraft Type Maximum Number of Passengers MD-80 150 Airbus A-320 174 Airbus A-319 144 B-737-800 174 B-737-700 124 CRJ-900 86 Q400 76 CRJ-700 70 CRJ-200 50 E-175 76 B-757 2 Air Cargo Crew FFD and ARFF Responsibilities: 1. Respond to aircraft incident/accident location in accordance with established policies, procedures and guidelines. 2. Assume lead in Incident/Unified Command System for initial fire and rescue operations in accordance with policies, procedures, and guidelines. 3. Ensure appropriate mutual aid emergency response organizations have been notified and are taking appropriate action. Section 202.015b Page 2 of 10 4. Upon notification of an aircraft accident at the airport, personnel performs the following actions depending on the accident's severity and needs. a. Respond to the scene with personnel and equipment. b. Identify an incident commander and establish an incident command post and assign appropriate personnel to incident command staff. c. Perform incident command duties at the scene. d. Manage fire/rescue/medical resources, direct fire operations, conduct necessary rescue operations, and determine the need to evacuate the area. e. Manage emergency medical operations to include the triage, treatment, and transport of injured passengers, bystanders, and response personnel. f. Establish a safe refuge area for non-injured passengers during the initial stages of an aircraft accident. g. Alert emergency response personnel to the presence of hazards at the scene (e.g., fire hazardous materials, etc.). Communications: 1. Emergency alarm system and procedures. a. A direct telephone hotline (crash phone/ring down) connects the Airport traffic control tower (ATCT) to several organizations involved in the notification of and response to airport emergencies. The locations include the Airport fire station, Air National Guard Command Post, and Air National Guard Crash- Fire-Rescue Station. b. Whenever ATCT personnel activate the crash phone, not only should it sound an alarm in various areas of the airport fire station and establish two-way voice communications on the telephone hotline, it should also broadcast the message on the Airport UHF hand-held and base station transceivers, and override any transmissions that may be taking place. c. The (crash phone/ring down) alarm system is conducted each day between 0800 and 0830 local time. 2. Fire response communications. a. Initial communications for first responders should be through standard vehicle radios on the public safety designated channel. Section 202.015b Page 3 of 10 b. Each vehicle is equipped with a ground control radio. Vehicle operators are trained in proper procedures to use the radio and may typically monitor the radio at all times unless performing firefighting operations. The person directing the scene of the operation should ensure the ground control radio is monitored. c. Communications between the incident commander and non-airport units responding to the incident should be through a designated or assigned channel. Command: 1. Command responsibility. a. The Airport Public Safety (APS) division should implement the Incident Command System for all incidents for management responsibility. All incidents involving aircraft on airport property may be designated as the Airport Incident with an (APS) officer or first emergency arriving unit assuming command until relieved by a battalion chief. b. For Alerts I and II, the ARFF incident commander shares command (unified) of the incident with the aircraft pilot until the pilot terminates the alert. The ARFF incident commander verifies the incident to be stabilized and safe. c. For Alert III, the ARFF incident commander shares command with the aircraft pilot only if the pilot still has control of the aircraft and passengers; otherwise, the ARFF incident commander is to have command. 2. Transfer of command. a. The APS Division and the Department should retain command of an incident until all emergency operations have been concluded and the incident commander has declared the incident safe. The Fresno Yosemite International Airport Director of Aviation or designated representative may assume command of the incident at that time. Aircraft Alerts: 1. Alert 1(Local Standby Alert). a. An aircraft known or suspected to have an operational defect that should not normally cause serious difficulty in achieving a safe landing. This is a notification only. ARFF vehicles are to standby or proceed to the staging area and monitor appropriate frequency. Section 202.015b Page 4 of 10 b. ARFF vehicles may standby or proceed to the staging area and monitor appropriate frequency. 2. Alert II (Full Emergency Alert). a. An aircraft known or suspected to have an operational defect that affects normal flight operations to the extent there is a danger of an accident. ARFF vehicles are to proceed to the staging areas and standby for instructions by ATC to access onto the runways. The runway that the aircraft lands on should be considered closed after the aircraft crosses the landing threshold. The runway is to remain closed until opened by Airport Command. b. ARFF vehicles will proceed to the staging areas and standby for instructions by ATC for access onto the runways. The runway that the aircraft lands on will be considered closed after the aircraft crosses the landing threshold. The runway will remain closed until reopened by Airport Command. NOTE: Upon landing the emergency aircraft, ATC must broadcast runway closure. 3. Alert III (Aircraft Accident Alert). a. An aircraft incident/accident has occurred on or in the vicinity of the airport. ARFF vehicles should proceed to the scene. Both runways are to be considered closed until reopened by Airport Command. b. ARFF vehicles will proceed to the scene. Both runways will be considered closed until reopened by Airport Command. NOTE: ATC must stop all ground traffic and send aircraft around/cancel take- off clearance(s) to allow responding emergency equipment unrestricted access to the accident. Response Descriptions and Staging Areas: 1. In-Flight or Airborne Emergency: An emergency condition that affects the operational integrity of an aircraft while in flight. Example: Alert I, II, and III. 2. Medical Emergency: Any condition or situation in which an individual perceives a need for medical attention. This includes medical emergencies on board an inbound aircraft. 3. Ground Emergency: Any emergency condition involving aircraft operations, neither while on the ground nor incident to flight operations nor classed as an in- flight or airborne emergency. These emergencies may include ground servicing, Section 202.015b Page 5 of 10 maintenance activities, pre-departure checks, and support equipment operations. ARFF Unit must stage using the following routes: 1. (AR-01): B-3 staging area-Via B-3 taxiway. 2. (AR-02): B-10 staging area-Via B-6, then Bravo taxiway. Pre-determined staging areas for other emergency units responding to the airport include: Staging Area 1: (South Side) perimeter gate 3 at the intersection of Ashley Way and Andersen Ave. Staging Area 2: (South Side) perimeter gate 13 at the intersection of Shields Ave and Winery Ave. Staging Area 3: (North Side) perimeter gate 25 on Aircorp Way just east of the P3 Hangar. Staging Area 4: (North Side) perimeter gate 17c west entrance to the Air Cargo Ramp on Airways Blvd. Emergency Phases: 1. Response Phase: Portion of the initial response effort where activities are focused on the dispatch and arrival of emergency first responders, initial fire suppression, rescue operations, and dealing with any hazardous materials issues. 2. Investigatory Phase: Unlike many other types of emergencies, an aircraft incident or accident may require some type of activity specific to the gathering and analysis of information, the drawing of conclusions, including the determination of the cause. a. This activity is depending on conditions during the response phase and continues through the recovery phase. The investigation is usually the responsibility of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). However, emergency first responders are to adhere to the criteria in FAA Advisory Circular 150-/5200-12CC. Section 202.015b Page 6 of 10 3. Recovery Phase: Returning the airport to a normal operational condition is extremely important. Recovery activities are to begin during the Response Phase and continue through the Investigatory Phase. a. Coordination with all tenants/parties involved is critical. Coordination is accomplished through the EOC. All agencies involved are to be represented and coordinate their response and recovery efforts. EMS Responsibilities: Emergency Medical Services (American Ambulance Supervisor), however, FFD may be the first to make patient contact and be aware of these guidelines. 1. Provide necessary triage and initial on-scene treatments of casualties. 2. Request appropriate mutual aid as necessary. 3. Provide for the movement of casualties to appropriate treatment facilities as expeditiously as possible. 4. Maintain an accurate list of casualties and their respective destination treatment facilities. 5. Coordinate with the involved air carrier for the transportation of the uninjured to the designated holding area. 6. Arrange for the restocking of medical supplies as necessary. Functions and Duties: The following functions and duties must be considered for any large-scale aircraft accident. 1. Incident Commander: Overall functional responsibility for the incident. 2. ARFF Operations Section Chief: Oversees firefighting and rescue operations for the incident. 3. Medical Branch Director: Responsible for determining the emergency medical resources required to ensure a smooth overall operation. Medical operations will include: a. Medical personnel are to initiate triage procedures to follow the “START” system of triage. The triage area is to be managed by the triage officer. The triage officer’s responsibilities include: Section 202.015b Page 7 of 10 Establish treatment areas to receive and treat patients. Ensure arriving patients are triaged correctly. Coordinate with the transport officer to select patients for transport based on their priority and availability of transport. b. Advanced life support stabilization by paramedics or intermediate EMTs are to be done in the immediate “red” area. Treatment in the other areas (e.g., yellow or green bus) is to be done by other FFD members. c. The transportation officer is to oversee patient transportation. Duties include: Determining transportation requirements and availability of transport vehicles. Designating and securing of loading areas for ground and air transport vehicles. Direct distribution of patients to hospitals and accountability of patients. Establishing and maintaining patient records, priority, and medical facility status. Providing area hospitals with brief patient reports, eliminating all individual units contact with hospitals for patient reports. Notifying the incident commander when all patients have been transported. Vehicle Clearances: Each vehicle operator is responsible for obtaining clearances into aircraft movement areas at all times. However, during an aircraft alert, when vehicles respond as a group, the lead vehicle is to obtain clearance for the entire group of vehicles. The trailing vehicle is to advise the ground controller when all the vehicles have cleared the movement area and/or an active runway. Access to Emergency Scene (Fire/EMS Units): Fire and medical resource units cannot proceed into the Air Operations area without an escort, except. Section 202.015b Page 8 of 10 1. Fire or medical personnel with a current airport identification badge, who have been adequately trained in air traffic control communications and airport procedures, are to enter the Air Operations area if their vehicle has (ATC) radio communications capability and have beacon lights operating. 2. The Airport Incident Commander is to consult with the Airport Airside Superintendent or Operations Manager and mutually agree on a security corridor extending from a perimeter gate to the incident scene’s entry/exit control access point or staging area. Responding units are directed to respond to this gate and give directions to the location or staging area by an (APS) officer or airport employee at the gate. Fire and medical units are to follow the directions given explicitly and not deviate. Runway and Taxiway Closures: Certified ARFF members request the Fresno air traffic control tower declare a runway or taxiway unusable when a hazard exists that might pose a significant danger to an aircraft. The ARFF member is to advise the ground controller and coordinate with the Operations representative to the specific reason for the request. Such hazards include, but are not limited to, aircraft wreckage, fire, fuel spills, or debris. ARFF members are not to consider the runway or taxiway unusable until confirmation by Fresno Ground Control. The Operations representative is to investigate the situation and close appropriate areas of the movement area. Operations then have the responsibility for any movement area closures or openings. Security of the Scene: Law enforcement personnel Airport Public Safety (APS) is to be called to establish a security perimeter early in the incident. ARFF members should not be allowed access to the accident site unless cleared by the incident commander. The airport incident commander is to coordinate with Airport Operations for security considerations. Airline Participation: The Airport Incident Commander ensures a representative from the airline involved is present at the command post. The airline representative is responsible for providing a passenger list or number of passengers aboard, assisting with awaiting family and friends and arranging shelter and other necessities for the survivors. Injured/Uninjured Accident Victims: 1. The incident commander is to designate a marshaling area for ambulance and transport vehicles. Section 202.015b Page 9 of 10 2. The temporary collection point for aircraft accident survivors is the Airport fire station. This is only to be utilized until the involved airline makes other arrangements to transport the survivors. The Airport Incident Commander is to assign a representative to the temporary passenger collection point. The American Red Cross should be requested for assistance in patient diffusing and other necessities. INFORMATION This section intentionally left blank. DEFINITIONS This section intentionally left blank. CROSS-REFERENCES FYI Airport Emergency Plan 14 CFR FAR 139.315 Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (Index Determination) Airport Emergency Services Letter of Agreement (LOA) with Fresno ATCT City of Fresno – Emergency Operations Plan Section 202.015b Page 10 of 10