Saturday, September 17, 2011

Airport firefighters practice putting out fiery fuselage at Casper/Natrona County International Airport (KCPR), Casper, Wyoming.

Casper/Natrona County International Airport firefighters and others from around the region participated in Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting (AARF) training with the regional training vehicle Sept. 16.

According to airport manager Glenn Januska, the truck was used to put out a small aircraft fire shortly after it was purchased two years ago. It carries up to 1,500 gallons of water and 205 gallons of foam. Because plane fuselages burn at 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit, firefighters use a foam and water mixture to smother the flames because water alone isn't enough.

Controls in the nearby maintenance building ignite the mock fuselage which sits in a pit of water topped with diesel fuel. According to Januska, the fuel is skimmed off the top for future use after training while the used water goes to the wastewater facility. Airport chief of public safety Mike Hendershot operated the gas controls for the Sept. 16 training. The airport conducts five to six similar live-burn training sessions a year and each firefighter must train annually. Since 1995, the airport has trained more than 1,800 fire fighters from 70-plus different departments.

http://www.casperjournal.com

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