ARFF for 135 ops?

[newmei]

What are the aircraft rescue and firefighting requirements for 30 passenger or less aircraft operating under 135 such as a EMB-120?

Thanks

 

[skylane58]

What kind of requirements? Ones for the airport or the operator? The airport in not required to have ARFF for anything other than scheduled 121. And then it has to do with aircraft length and capacity. Index A airports just have a truck with cab controled turret. Index B airports are for planes with like 100 pax capacity. The airport has to have 1500 gallons of water and 100 gallons of foam on any combo of trucks. Index C is for like 200 pax, and requires two trucks at least with like 2500 gallons of water and 200 of foam. Index D is your typical DEN, SFO, PHX, etc. Lots of trucks and lots of AFFF(aquious film forming foam). Everything you need to know is in CFR 139. Thats the airport requirements. So, for an EMB 120, the airport need only be Index A. But again, only for scheduled service.

 

[Thrust Master]

What kind of requirements? Ones for the airport or the operator? The airport in not required to have ARFF for anything other than scheduled 121. And then it has to do with aircraft length and capacity. Index A airports just have a truck with cab controled turret.

Just a correction on this.

139.315 is Index determination of aircraft rescue and
firefighting equipment requirements.

139 regulations are in regard to airport certification,
which include ARFF requirements as well as numerous
other details pertaining to the airport, lighting, pavement
markings, ect,ect,ect...

139 is not based on 121 operations alone.
The index is determined by a combination of-

1) The length of air carrier expressed in groups; and
2) Average daily departures of air carrier aircraft.
b) For the purpose of Index determination, air carrier aircraft
lengths are grouped as follows (not capacity):

1) Index A includes aircraft less than 90' in length.
2) Index B includes aircraft 90' but less than 126'.
3) Index C includes aircraft 126' but less than 159'.
4) Index D includes aircraft 159' but less than 200'.
5) Index E includes aircraft 200' or greater in length.

There are 2 exceptions to this rule.

1) If there are 5 or more average daily departures of air carrier
aircraft in a single index group serving that airport, the
longest index group with an average of 5 or more departures
is the index required for that airport.

2) If there are less than 5 average departures of air carrier in a
single index group serving that airport, the next lower index from
the longest index group with air carrier aircraft in it is the index
required for the airport.

139.317 deals with the equipment and agent requirement
for each index.

Your carrier (example: Lakes/121/135) may serve Pierre SD.
they don't need firefighters at the airport, just the required
agents on the field. The local Department only needs to show
the airport manager that someone was trained in the communittee to use them, along with hazmat training and basic
first aid.

I used to be a full time firefighter for over 7 years and dusted
off my reg's to find this one.

Airport Firefighters are often refered to as ARFF's.
But when they first start we refered to them as

BARFF's

Basic Air Rescue Firefighters.

 

[avbug]

The hard part is remembering to bring a bag of marshmallows.

 

[starvingcfi]

he prefers wieners

 

[skylane58]

I was being very general in my statements because of length issues. I meant it to be in respect to general size of the aircraft when I gave pax numbers. And I admit I forgot index E, but I was just trying to make the point that part 135 EMB120 flights don't require ARFF. And it is in CFR 139 is it not? I was just giving the place to start, mainly because I didn't have any regs anywhere close to me.

I have been ARFF for about seven years as well. Aside from the occasional ground loop or gear up, luckily no real bad stuff to date.

 

[Skyboss]

Index classification:

It's ARFF Index A. There does not need to be a firefighting unit on the airfield, except during the operation. It can be supported by off airport fire rescue.

139.315 - If there are less than five average daily departures of air carrier aircraft in a single Index group serving that airport, the next lower Index from the longest Index group with air carrier aircraft in it is the Index required for the airport. The minimum designated Index shall be Index A.


Equipment Requirements:

Most fire departments have sufficient agent to deal with fuel tanker (road type) fires and car fires. If not, htey can tow a trailer behind the fire truck to meet the requirement.

139.317 - The following rescue and firefighting equipment and agents are the minimum required for the Indexes referred to in § 139.315:

(a) Index A: One vehicle carrying at least --

(1) 500 pounds of sodium-based dry chemical or halon 1211; or

(2) 450 pounds of potassium-based dry chemical and water with a commensurate quantity of AFFF to total 100 gallons, for simultaneous dry chemical and AFFF foam application.


And as far as being on site... It's only required durign operations:

139.319 - The vehicle and its systems shall be maintained so as to be operationally capable of performing the functions required by this subpart "during all air carrier operations".