As the world celebrates the World Fire Fighters Day, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, has commended the Federal Government for making fire prevention in the industry a priority with the recent acquisition of a fire fighting simulator.
The Director Operations, FAAN, Captain Rabi’u Yadudu who gave the commendation in his opening remarks at FAAN Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting service lecture in Lagos, said the simulator was first of its kind in Africa.
He stated that the multi-functional simulator was capable of delivering a realistic aircraft emergency training for different types of operational incidents involving aircraft in the Aerodrome and its vicinity.
Yadudu emphasized that this was an indication of serious business drive for the aviation industry sector being a hub for training RFFs from other countries.
“This is a quantum leap in the countryside lists of achievements”.
He commended the tireless efforts of the fire fighters in the industry, adding that they deserve better working environment, support and encouragement.
The Operations Director observed that the training needs of the fire fighters must be intensed and realistic, stressing the Airport Rescue ad Firefighting, ARFF, was a special category of Firefighting that involved the response, hazard mitigation, evacuation and possible Rescue of passengers and crew of an aircraft involved in an airport ground emergency.
“Airports may have regulatory oversight by an arm of their individual national governments or voluntarily under standards of the international Civil Aviation Organization. Due to the mass casualty potential of an aviation emergency, the speed with which emergency response equipment and personnel arrive at the scene of the emergency is of Paramount Importance”.
According to Yadudu, the firefighters work assiduously to ensure in the event of an accident that the passengers were rescued anywhere it happens.
“Their arrival and initial mission to secure the aircraft against all hazards, particularly fire, increase the survivability of the passengers and crew on board”.
” Airport firefighters have advanced training in the application of Firefighting foams, dry chemical and clean agents used to extinguish burning aviation fuel in and around an aircraft in order to maintain a path for evacuating passengers to exit the fire hazard area”.
The International Firefighters Day is universally dedicated to celebrate the firefighters that lost their lives in the line of active service and also appreciate the living and active ones.
Yadudu while appreciating the firemen for their contributions to the development of the ARFF in FAAN, also applauded Management for their support in trying to ensure that firefighters Excel in their duties of protecting, saving lives and property.
The theme of the lecture is: Up Scaling Inter-Agency Collaboration with Effective Implementation of the Airport Emergency Plan (AEP).
