Airport Firefighter Duties: What They Do to Keep You Safe

Why aviation firefighting is different

An aircraft accident can develop quickly and may involve large numbers of occupants, aviation fuel, confined cabin spaces, damaged structures, hot engines, difficult access and hazards unfamiliar to firefighters who do not routinely work around aircraft. The response has to combine rescue, fire control and protection of survivable areas while maintaining safe access for emergency crews.

Specialist vehicles are designed to deliver large quantities of firefighting agent rapidly and while manoeuvring across an aerodrome. Crew positioning, vehicle access, communications and the ability to maintain agent application are therefore central to ARFFS planning.

The required level of protection is not identical at every airport. Under the Part 139H standards, aerodromes are categorised according to the aircraft operating there. Aircraft dimensions and movement frequency help determine the category, which in turn affects matters such as the minimum number of firefighting vehicles and required extinguishing-agent performance.

How an aircraft emergency response generally unfolds

1. Alert and information. The ARFFS receives the emergency call or alert and obtains the available information about the aircraft, location and nature of the problem.
2. Immediate mobilisation. Appropriate vehicles and crews deploy using established routes while maintaining communications with the fire-station communications function, air traffic services and other agencies as required.
3. Approach and positioning. Crews assess aircraft position, fire conditions, wind, evacuation, hazards and access before committing vehicles and personnel.
4. Rescue and fire control. Firefighting agents are applied, rescue is supported and occupants or responders are protected from fire and other immediate hazards.
5. Command and reinforcement. The incident command structure coordinates ARFFS resources and integrates supporting police, ambulance and external fire services where required.
6. Recovery and handover. Once immediate life safety and fire control are achieved, the scene moves into stabilisation, investigation, recovery and restoration under the appropriate authorities.

The exact tactics depend on the aircraft, location, emergency type and local procedures. A public article cannot replace an airport emergency plan, ARFFS standard operating procedures or incident-specific command decisions.

Training is continuous, not a one-off course

Australian ARFFS personnel must maintain the qualifications and competencies required for their operating position. The current Part 139H standards require operational firefighters to maintain competencies through on-the-job training, with core competencies validated regularly and a maximum interval of 90 days.

The competency areas identified in the standards include foam application from an attack vehicle monitor, aerodrome topography, aircraft familiarisation, fire-station communications, fire alarms, vehicle operation, breathing apparatus, hose and branch work, ladders, rescue equipment, first aid, incident command and pre-incident planning.

The standards also require realistic exercises representing aircraft crashes, accidents or incidents. This is important because airport firefighting is a low-frequency but potentially high-consequence environment: crews need to maintain skills they may not use at a major incident for long periods.

How Airservices recruits and trains aviation firefighters

Airservices Australia says its ARFF workforce includes more than 900 operational and support personnel across airport fire stations around Australia. Its current careers information states that new recruits complete an initial 11-week training program in Melbourne before transitioning to their station.

Applicants do not need previous firefighting experience for general recruit campaigns. Airservices currently requires applicants to meet its eligibility, medical, physical, licensing and other recruitment standards. The organisation also makes clear that the work involves rotating shifts, including nights, weekends and public holidays.

For readers interested in joining, use Airservices’ current careers page rather than relying on old recruitment posts because entry standards and course dates can change.

Operational perspective: what municipal and volunteer firefighters should understand

A firefighter from a structural, rural or industrial background brings useful fundamentals to an aviation incident: crew discipline, dynamic risk assessment, incident command, breathing apparatus, hose work, rescue and casualty care. But aviation response introduces its own hazards, aircraft systems, access issues and movement-area controls.

From a general fire-service perspective, the key lesson is role clarity. External crews supporting an airport incident should work through the established command structure, use designated access, follow airside controls and avoid assuming that normal road, industrial or structural-fire practices automatically transfer to the aircraft environment. This article does not claim that the author has served as an ARFFS firefighter; the operational observations draw on broader career and volunteer firefighting experience.

What travellers should do during an airport emergency

Common misconceptions about airport firefighters

“Every airport has its own specialist fire brigade.”

No. Dedicated ARFFS operates at airports that meet the relevant criteria or where a service is otherwise established. CASA states that airports without specialised aviation firefighters rely on local emergency services.

“The three-minute standard applies everywhere on airport property.”

No. The Australian standard is framed around runway ends and the aircraft movement area under specified optimum conditions. It should not be turned into a blanket promise covering terminals, public car parks or every property boundary.

“Airport firefighters only deal with aircraft crashes.”

No. Their regulatory functions also include fires elsewhere on the aerodrome. Airservices also describes broader aviation and airport emergency-assistance work, first aid and emergency assistance, equipment readiness and emergency-preparedness support.

“A structural firefighter can simply step into the same role.”

No. General firefighting experience can be valuable, but ARFFS requires aviation-specific qualifications, local competencies and continuing training. Aircraft and aerodrome knowledge are central to the role.

Practical next steps

1. For current Australian ARFFS requirements, start with CASA Part 139 and the current Part 139H Manual of Standards.
2. For Airservices operations and careers, use the current Airservices ARFFS and careers pages.
3. If you are an emergency responder who may attend aviation incidents, refresh your organisation’s aircraft, airside-access and incident-command procedures.
4. If you are a traveller, follow airline, airport and emergency-service directions rather than trying to interpret an incident yourself.
5. Recheck regulatory and recruitment information periodically because aviation standards and employment requirements can change.

Related FireRescue guides

• Respond to Aviation Incidents Foundations, Part 1 of 4
• Work Safely Around Aircraft Foundations, Part 1 of 3
• Firefighter Jobs in Australia: How to Join, Training and Salaries

Conclusion

Airport firefighters provide a specialist safety layer for aviation. Their job combines rapid aircraft rescue and firefighting with aerodrome fire protection, equipment readiness, aircraft and site knowledge, first aid, incident command and constant competency maintenance.

The most important public takeaway is that ARFFS is built around defined aviation risks and performance standards. The most important firefighter takeaway is that general fire-service skills remain valuable, but aviation incidents demand specific aircraft knowledge, airside discipline and local procedures.

Official sources checked

• Airservices Australia — Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting Service
• Airservices Australia — ARFF careers and recruit information
• Civil Aviation Safety Authority — Part 139 of CASR
• Civil Aviation Safety Authority — passenger information on aviation accidents and emergencies
• Federal Register of Legislation — Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998, Subpart 139.H
• Federal Register of Legislation — current Manual of Standards Part 139H

Corrections and field experience: FireRescue Training Hub welcomes source-backed corrections where aviation firefighting requirements have changed, and practical observations from current or former ARFFS personnel that can improve this guide. Operational anecdotes should be clearly identified as experience and should not override current official standards.