Airport rescue and firefighting services in the United Kingdom

The provision of rescue and firefighting services (RFFS) at all airports and aerodromes in the United Kingdom is a requirement under British law and under international agreements[which?]

The principal objective of an airport fire and rescue service is "to save lives in the event of an aircraft accident or incident".

[1] A category 10 airport caters for the biggest aircraft, namely the Airbus A380, and therefore requires extensive rescue and firefighting cover as determined by the Civil Aviation Authority.

If a special request has been made by the local authority, then dependent on circumstances, major foam tenders may be dispatched.

All incidents that occur outside of the airport boundary are the responsibility of the local authority fire and rescue service serving that location.

A new type of roof-mounted monitor has been introduced in the UK; commonly known as a 'snozzle', it consists of an extensible boom capable of reaching the upper decks of the A380 to extinguish fires and is equipped with an infra-red camera, a variable output 'nozzle' and a device resembling a spike that can pierce the fuselage of an aircraft and deliver large amounts of water and foam inside the aircraft.

The Heathrow FRS also operates two Mitsubishi Shogun command vehicles out of the main fire station, a Scania hose-layer, several auxiliary vehicles (such as a personnel carrier) along with a couple of reserve foam tenders and, to meet category 10 requirements, a Scania 42 m aerial ladder platform to reach the upper deck of the A380.

ICAO Annex 14, § 9.2.34 directs that: All rescue and firefighting personnel shall be properly trained to perform their duties in an efficient manner and shall participate in live fire-drills commensurate with the types of aircraft and type of rescue and firefighting equipment in use at the aerodrome, including pressure-fed fuel fires.

Unlike their local authority counterparts, airport firefighters have to re-qualify every four years to be deemed competent.