A message from Mark Munroe, Chairman (Captain-Massport Fire/Rescue)
On October 3rd of this year, ARFF Training Officers from around the New England region met in Boston at the Massport Fire/Rescue Headquarters to discuss forming a working alliance. The focus of this alliance is to promote improved ARFF Services & Training, to encourage professional standards in ARFF instruction and to raise the proficiency skills & levels in ARFF response and training. Through this collaboration, the professional bar can and will be raised for not only our Firefighters but for our customers, the flying public,
Within a month of the inaugural meeting, as word started to spread, the group went from five airports to fourteen with a representative from the NFPA joining as well. To date seven states and two FAA Regions are now represented in the Consortium and inquires being made on a weekly basis for information. With such a large area covered, it was decided to rename the group the “Northeast ARFF Training Officers Consortium”
Several committee’s have been formed to help meet the group’s objectives, one being a Curriculum Committee, which will have the responsibility of developing curriculum for new and improved courses and classes. Such classes being reviewed are, ARFF Safety Officers Course, ARFF Fire Officers, Airport Exercise/Drill Evaluators Class, CISM, Etc. As we are all very aware, there is very limited amount of ARFF training courses available, so the sky is pretty much the limit. The Consortium has also appointed Liaison’s to the FAA, NFPA, ARFFWG, State Fire Academies that are in the states represented, DOD, IAFC and others.
As an example of the great need for such endeavors, representatives from Buffalo/Niagara Int’l Airport in New York and Bangor/Maine ANG Airport traveled over five hours to attend the November meeting at Bradley Int’l Airport in Windsor Locks, CT. Moving forward the Consortium will be working together to standardize and regionalize the new FAA HRET requirements, 139 Training records & record management, FAA Inspection preparations and developing new and better ARFF Courses. This is an exciting time to be not only in ARFF Services but the Airline industry as a whole and the Consortium is striving to meet the needs of fire protection within that industry.
If you would like more information please contact:
Mark Munroe at: Mmunroe@massport.com
Bill Major at: William_Major@nfta.com
Chairman – Mark Munroe – Capt. Massport Fire/Rescue
Vice Chairman – Bill Major – Capt. Buffalo/Niagara Fire/Rescue
Secretary – Dave Pendleton – Deputy Chief – Portland Fire Department
Consortium Members:
- Massport Fire/Rescue – Boston/Logan Int’l Airport MA
- Westover ANG – MA
- Portland Fire Department – Portland Maine
- Bangor/Maine ANG – Maine
- TF Green Airport – RI
- Bradley Int’l Airport Fire/Rescue -CT
- Sikorsky Aircraft – CT
- Tweed/New Haven Airport – CT
- Kamen Aerospace – CT
- CT Airport Authority – CT
- Buffalo/Niagara Int’l Airport – NY
- NY/NJ Airport Authority – NY/NJ
- Long Island MacArthur Airport – NY
- Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport – NY
- Albany Airport – NY
- NFPA
