ABERDEEN AIRPORT FIRE SERVICE

CAT 7

Stations

 <1998                        To east of main runway opposite Main Terminal                                                        Photos

Senior Airport Fire Officer

Appliances

2004         The Domestic appliance is the Land Rover Discovery manned by 2. Firefighters.

Cobra
Carmichael Cobra Mark 2 major foam tender is in service at BAA's Scottish airports. The Mark 1 is similar but smaller than the Mark 2 and is 500kg heavier.
The Cobra is 6 x 6 all wheel drive, with a rear mounted Detroit diesel, turbo charged, direct injection water cooled engine. The pump is a Godiva GVB 10,000 single stage centrifugal pump capable of producing 10,0001/min at l6 bar pressure.
The monitor is a Carmichael power assisted Cl0,000 single barrel roof mounted with defuser.
Landrover Discovery
The command and control vehicles are key the success of a major incident, the operation watch officer is able to communicate with his fire appliances, air traffic control, the AFS watch room, and the pilot. The officer in charge can position remotely from the major fire fighting appliances and attain an overall view of an incident.
The Landrover Discovery has a four wheel drive petrol engine. The front passenger seat has been removed to house the communication console. These vehicles also carry command and control planning boards as well as personal protection and rescue equipment.
MAN
The dual role hose layer and equipment carrier in operation at Aberdeen Airport is facilitated by demountable units system which are completely interchangeable.
The hose deployment/retrieval unit contains one light portable pump, 500m of 125mm high volume hose in l0m lengths. The integrated fetch hose retrieval unit is fitted to the near side of the unit.
The equipment carrier unit is non water carrying but does contain one trolley unit of 50kg BCF and one trolley unit 50kg Monnex accessed by rear mounted media tail lift.

Notes

1998                        BAA Airport Fire Service

Aberdeen Airport maintains operational cover for Category 7 operations throughout the promulgated opening hours of the airfield. Serving the oil capital of Europe, the airport is the busiest commercial heliport in the world. The 97,000 aircraft movements and 2.5m passengers per annum are serviced by five terminals (two fixed wing, three rotary wing) and four runways.
The complexity of the operation, demands that fire service personnel are trained and assessed as competent for all tasks they are expected to perform in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act.
The operational team consists of 43 firefighters/leading firefighters and eight officers. In addition to the airfield cover provided, and to ensure continuity of operations, a fire service response to the terminals and associated airfield buildings is provided by an additional two personnel over and above the Civil Aviation Authority agreed manning levels.
Commitment to safety
In line with the company’s commitment to safety, appliances and equipment provided, exceeds that required by relevant standards.
Aberdeen Airport fire station is situated directly across from the main terminal on the east side of the airfield.
The appliance bays house the following: one command and control vehicle; one fire safety team vehicle; two mark 1 Cobra major foam tenders; one mark 2 Cobra major foam tender; one MAN equipment carrier; and one MAN hose layer (If required, hose layer is manned by the fire safety team).
Operational crew consists of two officers and 10 firefighters including a watch room attendant with a riding position on a spare major foam tender.
Fire training ground
Aberdeen Airport fire station fire training ground is situated on the north west of the airfield and consists of a fixed wing trainer (737) rig and a helicopter (Sikorsky 61) rig. Both training rigs have multi fire scenarios externally, however the Sikorsky 61 rig can also be utilised for a simulated internal cockpit fire. Both rigs are supplied by pressure fed liquid propane gas (L.PG) but for that added realism, kerosene can also be selected.
Third party training also takes place in a specially designed training rig built to simulate scenarios found on offshore installations. Offshore safety and survival company Nutec have a partnership with Aberdeen Airport Fire Service in the training and retraining of offshore workers. The purpose built training facility (which looks like a mini oil rig complete with helicopter) is situated on the fire ground and can boast many different scenarios relevant to the offshore industry.
(Fire Times March 2005. BAA Airports supplement.)

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