Worldwide known Aircraft Crash-Rescue training facility shut down at KSLC

[MikeD]

This sucks. City of Salt Lake Fire Department closed their aircraft firefighting training facility a couple weeks ago located at KSLC on the north side of the field. Last training fire was done to empty the fuel tanks of the training aircraft prop.

Supposedly not related to the current airport expansion project, but I find that suspect. Budget also a factor. This facility not only trained SLC airport firefighters, but was also a nationally and even world recognized ARFF training facility, with students from other counties as well as all over the USA attending; the furthest away students being from Antarctica.

I figure the constant 911 calls about aircraft emergencies or fire whenever the training fires were lit off, and pax at the airport seeing the same thing, probably contributed to its demise also.

My contact company used this facility for currency, and it was a pleasure working at such a nice facility with great staff. Sorry to see it go.

Story below:

SLC Airport fire training facility will close in June

 

[Bob Ridpath]

This sucks. City of Salt Lake Fire Department closed their aircraft firefighting training facility a couple weeks ago located at KSLC on the north side of the field. Last training fire was done to empty the fuel tanks of the training aircraft prop.

Supposedly not related to the current airport expansion project, but I find that suspect. Budget also a factor. This facility not only trained SLC airport firefighters, but was also a nationally and even world recognized ARFF training facility, with students from other counties as well as all over the USA attending; the furthest away students being from Antarctica.

I figure the constant 911 calls about aircraft emergencies or fire whenever the training fires were lit off, and pax at the airport seeing the same thing, probably contributed to its demise also.

My contact company used this facility for currency, and it was a pleasure working at such a nice facility with great staff. Sorry to see it go.

Story below:

SLC Airport fire training facility will close in June

Nothing of importance to add other than this sux

 

[BravoHotel]

That is bad news. When I was an ARFF guy I went there twice for currency burns.

 

[JeppUpdater]

I figure the constant 911 calls about aircraft emergencies or fire whenever the training fires were lit off, and pax at the airport seeing the same thing, probably contributed to its demise also.

I know DFW makes announcements before, during, and after all of their training for that very reason, and I've had a few crews make PAs taxiing in or out of the airport.

Damn shame to see a training facility like that be shutdown.

@MikeD if you get hired at a smaller facility do you typically head off to one of these facilities or is your training done in house?

 

[MikeD]

I know DFW makes announcements before, during, and after all of their training for that very reason, and I've had a few crews make PAs taxiing in or out of the airport.

Damn shame to see a training facility like that be shutdown.

@MikeD if you get hired at a smaller facility do you typically head off to one of these facilities or is your training done in house?

Smaller facilities will often do initial training at one of these facilties, because it has to be FAA approved training for the ARFF cert. Bigger agencies normally have the money to do their own training and/or incorporate this kind of training at their facilties if they have a ARFF mission. But that is commensurate with environmental regs, etc.

Problem with ARFF is, it costs alot of $$$ and is rarely used to its full extent. So many cities that also have an airport fire responsibility, theyd rather be spending money on replacement engine trucks or ladder trucks or ambulances, trucks that get far more use day to day than airport rigs. And for this reason, a number of airports have gone to or are going to, private-contract ARFF for the airport operations, if they arent already an airport authority or similar. That way they don't have to worry about it other than flat cost.

 

[texas_pilot]

This sucks. City of Salt Lake Fire Department closed their aircraft firefighting training facility a couple weeks ago located at KSLC on the north side of the field. Last training fire was done to empty the fuel tanks of the training aircraft prop.

Supposedly not related to the current airport expansion project, but I find that suspect. Budget also a factor. This facility not only trained SLC airport firefighters, but was also a nationally and even world recognized ARFF training facility, with students from other counties as well as all over the USA attending; the furthest away students being from Antarctica.

I figure the constant 911 calls about aircraft emergencies or fire whenever the training fires were lit off, and pax at the airport seeing the same thing, probably contributed to its demise also.

My contact company used this facility for currency, and it was a pleasure working at such a nice facility with great staff. Sorry to see it go.

Story below:

SLC Airport fire training facility will close in June

I just learned the AFFF used firefighting training is a horrible toxic substance that military and civil training forces don’t try to contain.
This stuff can destroy a municipal water supply.

 

[jtrain609]

I just learned the AFFF used firefighting training is a horrible toxic substance that military and civil training forces don’t try to contain.
This stuff can destroy a municipal water supply.

Just happened in Kalamazoo.

 

[knot4u]

I just learned the AFFF used firefighting training is a horrible toxic substance that military and civil training forces don’t try to contain.
This stuff can destroy a municipal water supply.

How would you suggest they train? Please enlighten the more feeble minded here of your solution that'll make everyone happy.

 

[MikeD]

I just learned the AFFF used firefighting training is a horrible toxic substance that military and civil training forces don’t try to contain.
This stuff can destroy a municipal water supply.

That was in the old days that the actual AFFF was used regularly in training, back with fire pits that had no containment facilities incorporated in them. These fire pits (the ones I originally trained on), used jet fuel and diesel, topped with gasoline, and also with any chemicals that were to be disposed such as MEK or other solvents. Used tires were thrown in for smoke and to add to the radiant heat. Realistic as heck, but entirely not environmenrally sound. Unfortunately, the damage done back then to groundwater had already been long occurring.

When propane-based fire trainers came out, that had containment catches incorporated in them, fire training reverted to water, halon, and dry chemical (halon later being swapped with halotron or clean guard). This is because the old pits needed foam and water to actually put them out, whereas the propane based ones didn't. The propane based ones aren't as realistic, but are more environmentally friendly. Plus, when actual firefighting foam (whichever type is being used) is expended along with water, it takes a tank or two of water to flush the fire truck piping completely of residual foam in order to avoid gelling and blocking of internal pipe components, so cleanup was always a pain,

More importantly, is the finding of AFFF as a carcinogen and the fact that when we actually trained with it back in the day, we had no idea of its cancerous effects when we were soaked in the stuff, and had it all over our skin and even ingesting some of it just in getting sprayed with it in weekly training, for years.

 

[texas_pilot]

That was in the old days that the actual AFFF was used regularly in training, back with fire pits that had no containment facilities incorporated in them. These fire pits (the ones I originally trained on), used jet fuel and diesel, topped with gasoline, and also with any chemicals that were to be disposed such as MEK or other solvents. Used tires were thrown in for smoke and to add to the radiant heat. Realistic as heck, but entirely not environmenrally sound. Unfortunately, the damage done back then to groundwater had already been long occurring.

When propane-based fire trainers came out, that had containment catches incorporated in them, fire training reverted to water, halon, and dry chemical (halon later being swapped with halotron or clean guard). This is because the old pits needed foam and water to actually put them out, whereas the propane based ones didn't. The propane based ones aren't as realistic, but are more environmentally friendly. Plus, when actual firefighting foam (whichever type is being used) is expended along with water, it takes a tank or two of water to flush the fire truck piping completely of residual foam in order to avoid gelling and blocking of internal pipe components, so cleanup was always a pain,

More importantly, is the finding of AFFF as a carcinogen and the fact that when we actually trained with it back in the day, we had no idea of its cancerous effects when we were soaked in the stuff, and had it all over our skin and even ingesting some of it just in getting sprayed with it in weekly training, for years.

I read a better formulated foam was developed, but lobbyists claimed it less effective so the bad stuff lasted far too long.
A feedback from training back in the day suggested ‘Trainer shouldn’t light his cigarette from burning mop’.

 

[texas_pilot]

Texas A & M was the big dog training facility when I was in the business.