Local Fire Departments Train for Aircraft Accident Response and Rescue at Spirit of St. Louis Airport

By Carmelo Turdo

Local fire fighters and emergency medical staff from the Monarch, Metro West, Cottleville and Pattonville Fire Protection Districts participated in a simulated aircraft fire and rescue exercise today on the Air Associates of Missouri ramp at Spirit of St. Louis Airport.  According to the training staff, the exercise is an annual  requirement for personnel qualified to respond to an aircraft accident.  The apparatus used in the training today is the Mobile Aircraft Firefighting Trainer, operated by the University of Missouri Fire and Rescue Training Institute and funded by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Missouri Department of Transportation.  Multiple scenarios were used, including cabin fire and rescue, lower fuselage fire, high-mounted engine fire and fuel spill.  The afternoon session wound down as rain moved in to break the nearly 90 degree heat on the ramp, and participants gladly shed their heavy gear after their rotation through the drill.  Special thanks to today's training officers and Air Associates of Missouri for allowing The Aero Experience to observe the exercise.