LAGUARDIA AIRPORT ALERT NOTIFICATIONS
A major responsibility of the Port Authority of New York Police Department (PAPD) is to provide aircraft alert/standby responses of manpower and apparatus. The level of response and action under the existing emergency plan is as follows:
Call 42 indicates a minor condition in which the aircraft pilot is not requesting police or other emergency equipment to respond.
Call 43 is a request for emergency equipment or a report of a problem while airborne.
Call 44 signifies a confirmed crash, a serious emergency, or an impending crash/fire emergency. During a call 44, all agencies respond as per the emergency plan.
LaGuardia Airport averages one or more alerts per day. Notifications during an alert are made on an emergency conference telephone line, which is tested twice daily. The line connects LaGuardia Tower with PAPD, FDNY Queens Communications Office, NYPD Communications, NYC Emergency Medical Service Communications, and other key airport personnel. PAPD responses to the levels of Alert Call are as follows:
- Tour commander responds on all alerts.
- Call 42: rapid intervention vehicle and one large ARFF apparatus.
- Call 43: rapid intervention vehicle and two large ARFF vehicles.
- Call 44: all vehicles.
The PAPD is the main airport res* cuc/firefighting agency at an incident on the airport grounds. Other agencies respond to provide support. FDNY augments rescue operations, assists in water rescues, provides a water hose relay to supply PAPD trucks with additional water, and stretches water or foam handlines from their vehicles. An NYPD emergency service unit augments rescue, water rescue, and other operations.
If necessary, an NYPD harbor unit will assist with in-water operations.
Regardless of the severity of an incident, all non-Port Authority responders respond to a staging area near Guard Post #3. They are escorted onto the ramp area by PA units
