LIVE-FIRE TRAINING PITS
Building the pits where firefighters will be trained in simulated, realistic, live-fire airport incidents involves preplanning, especially in light of Environmental Protection Agency (FPA) regulations that govern the impact these exercises will have on contaminating ground water and emitting smoke into the air. Otherwise, it is conceivable that a newly constructed pit could be functional but not usable because it was not designed properly or it was constructed of materials that do not meet FPA requirements. To avoid this problem, Federal Aviation Administration specifications should be followed when designing and constructing the pit, and all applicable local, state, and federal environmental and fire regulations also should be consulted.
The following are among the major considerations when constructing a live-fire pit.
Bum area. Many airports designate the size of this area according to the amount of available land. Although this is a viable consideration, the pit s size ideally should be determined by the size of the aircraft that frequent the airport. If land is limited, the size of this area can be ascertained by the discharge method, which allows for a smaller burn area by restricting the application rate of the extinguishing agent on the fire. This method is described in FAA Advisory Circular 150/5220-17.
Concrete apron. Hie pit should have a concrete apron to collect proper disposal fluids—water, agent, or fuel— that may splash out of the burn area. The apron should be between six and 12 feet wide.
Aircraft mock-up. The mock-up is recommended to increase the complications normally encountered when suppressing a real aircraft fire Adding obstacles in the burn area makes the fire much more difficult to extinguish. The mock-up should be made of material that can withstand the intense heat produced by the fire. It also should be properly ventilated, especially if a discarded cylindrical lank is used. Without proper ventilation, flammable vapors can build up inside the structure and cause an explosion when the correct air-fuel vapor mixtures are reached.
Additional mock-ups. They may include those of landing gear fires or Class A fires in the interior or cargo areas.
Control center. This area should include valves for controlling the fuel flow and should be in an area where an instructor or safety officer can visually monitor and control a training exercise from behind a protected wall.
Fuel distribution system. The system’s vented fuel storage tank(s), the supply piping system, explosive-proof fuel pump(s), an independent zonal fuel delivery’ network, and the burn area fuel-delivery network must be installed in an area large enough to accommodate them. The storage tanks must meet the appropriate code requirements; the FAA Advisory Circular 150/5230-4 should be consulted. The zonal fuel delivery network should be designed so that the fire easily may be intensified or reduced in specified parts of the burn area. The capacity’ of the fuel tank should be based on the amount of fuel needed to sustain at least two burns
