Chapter 3
Agencies Involved
3.1 GENERAL
The first step in a viable emergency plan is to have the cooperation
and participation of all the concerned airport/community authorities. Agencies
to be considered are:
(a) air
traffic services;
(b) rescue
and fire fighting services (fire departments)*;
(c) police
and/or security services;
(d) airport
authority;
(e) medical
services;
(f)
hospitals;
(g)
aircraft operators;
(h)
government authorities;
(i)
communication services;
(j) airport tenants;
(k)
transportation authorities (land, sea and air);
(1) rescue
co‑ordination centre,*
(m) civil
defence;
(n) mutual
aid agencies;
(o)
military;
(p) harbour
patrol or coast guard;
(q) clergy;
(r) public
information office;
(5)
customs;
(t) mental health agencies;
(u) public utilities;
(v) postal authorities;
(w) veterinary services;
(x) coroner;
(y)
volunteer organizations; and
(z) international relief agencies
(Red Cross, etc.).
3.2 AIR
TRAFFIC SERVICES
When the emergency involves an aircraft, the airport control
tower (or airport flight information service) is required to contact the rescue
and fire fighting service and to provide information on the type of emergency
and other essential details, such as the type of aircraft, fuel on board and
location of the accident, if known. Additionally, the airport emergency plan
may specify that air traffic services should initiate the calling of the local
fire departments and appropriate organizations in accordance with the procedures
laid down in the plan. The initial call should provide the grid map reference,
rendezvous point and, where necessary, the airport entrances to be used.
Alternatively, this function may be assigned by the plan either in whole or in
part to another organization or unit. Care must be taken, when preplanning
initial notification of the accident, to specify clearly the responsibility
assignments and to avoid duplication in the calling requirements. Subsequent
calls may expand the information given to include the number of aircraft
occupants, any dangerous goods on board, and the name of the aircraft operator,
if appropriate. If the airport must be closed because of the emergency
situation at hand, air traffic services are expected to take action as
necessary with respect to aircraft desiring to land or depart.
*Throughout this manual rescue and fire fighting service means
the main agency designated to provide rescue and fire fighting services at an
airport. Fire department means the rescue and fire fighting
service available in the vicinity of an airport. The principal object of the
latter is to deal with fires occurring in the community surrounding the
airport.
3.3 RESCUE
AND FIRE FIGHTING SERVICES (FIRE DEPARTMENTS)
3.3.1 The prime responsibility of airport rescue and fire
fighting personnel is to save lives. Property endangered by aircraft incidents
and accidents occurring on or near the airport should be preserved as far as
practicable. To achieve this objective, fire should be suppressed and any resignation
prevented. There are aircraft accidents, however, where fire may not occur, or
where the fire may be rapidly extinguished. In every case, the procedures
should provide for the most rapid evacuation possible of survivors of the
accident.
3.3.2 Unless seriously injured casualties are stabilized
rapidly, they may become fatalities. Airport rescue and fire fighting personnel
should receive training to satisfy locally acceptable, emergency medical
standards. They may be the only rescue personnel on the scene during the
critical period immediately following an accident and possibly for an extended
period of time. On‑airport availability of other responding personnel
with qualified medical expertise may reduce this need.
3.3.3, Only fire righting and rescue personnel wearing
approved protective fire fighting clothing and equipment should be allowed in
close proximity to an aircraft accident site. Such clothing should be worn
within a distance of approximately
3.3.4 As a means to easily identify and distinguish the fire
officer in command, a suitable red hard hat and highly visible red apparel such
as a vest or coat should be worn, with "CHIEF FIRE OFFICER" in
reflective lettering displayed front and back.
3.4 POLICE
AND/OR SECURITY SERVICES
3.4.1 In an
airport emergency, it is expected that the police or security officer first to
arrive at the scene will secure the site and request reinforcement, if needed.
The officer's responsibilities should continue until relieved by the designated
law enforcement agency that has jurisdictional authority over the area. The
plan should include arrangements for the rapid and effective reinforcement of
the security cordon by local police, military or other units under governmental
control, wherever required.
3.4.2 Congestion‑free ingress and egress roads need to
be established immediately for emergency vehicles. The security services,
police force, or other appropriate local authorities are expected to ensure
that only persons with specific tasks be allowed at the scene of the accident.
They should route the normal traffic away from or around the accident site.
3.4.3 The plan should provide for the control of crowds that
always collect at an accident site and also for the preservation of the entire
area, undisturbed whenever practical, for investigation purposes. (See Appendix
4.)
3.4.4 A mutual aid programme should be instituted between all
potentially involved security agencies; e.g. airport, city, local and
government security forces, mail inspectors, and, where appropriate, military
police and customs officials.
3.4.5 A method to easily identify responding emergency
personnel should be implemented at security checkpoints to ensure that they
have immediate access to the accident site. "Emergency Access"
identification can be pre‑issued by the airport authority to emergency
personnel for use during an emergency.
3.4.6 In many cases it may not be possible or practicable for vehicles
of mutual aid fire departments, ambulances, etc., to proceed directly to the
accident/ incident site. It is essential that the emergency plan include
procedures for meeting at a designated rendezvous point or points. A rendezvous
point can also be used as a staging area where responding units can be held
until needed at the accident site. This can help to eliminate traffic jams and
confusion. Personnel controlling the rendezvous point also should consider the
suitability of vehicles for adverse terrain conditions at the accident site and
to prevent obstruction of the access route by disabled vehicles. Staging these
vehicles can prevent traffic jams and confusion at the accident scene.
3.4.7 As a means to easily identify and distinguish the
security/police officer in command, a blue, industrial hard hat and highly
visible blue apparel such as a vest or coat should be worn, with‑‑‑POLICECHIE17"
in reflective lettering displayed front and back.
3.5 AIRPORT
AUTHORITY
3.5.1 The airport authority should be responsible for
establishing, promulgating and implementing the plan and designating the
person in command of the over‑all operation at the command post. The plan
may require the airport authority to ensure that the information, such as names
and telephone numbers of offices or people involved in an airport emergency, is
kept up to date and distributed to all concerned. Co‑ordination of all
agencies responding to an emergency is expected to be carried out by the
airport authority. The airport authority will also arrange necessary meetings
of the airport emergency plan co‑ordinating committee, composed of key
personnel from participating agencies, to critique the plan after it has been
tested or implemented. The airport authority should be responsible for closing
the airport, or part of it, if circumstances so require. Aircraft operations should
be resumed only when circumstances permit aircraft to operate safely without
interfering with rescue activities and the airport movement area has been
secured.
3.5.2 As a means to easily identify and distinguish the
airport operations officer in charge, an international-orange hard hat and
highly visible orange apparel such as a vest or coat should be worn, with "AIRPORT
ADMINISTRATION‑ in reflective lettering displayed back and front.
3.6 MEDICAL
SERVICEs
3.6.1 the
purpose of medical services is to provide triage, first aid and medical care in
order to:
(a) save as many lives as possible by locating and stabilizing
the most seriously injured, whose lives may be in danger without immediate
treatment;
(b) provide comfort to the less seriously
injured and to administer first aid; and
(c) transport
casualties to the proper medical facility.
3.6.2 It is essential that provision of medical services such
as triage, stabilization, first aid, medical care, and the transporting of the
injured to hospital(s) be carried out in the most expeditious manner possible.
To this end, well organized medical resources (personnel, equipment and medical
supplies) should be available at the accident site in the shortest time
possible. The medical aspects of the emergency plan should be integrated with
local community emergency plans as agreed upon in the mutual aid emergency
agreement. (See Appendix S.)
3.6.3 A medical co‑ordinator should be assigned to
assume control of the emergency medical operations at the accident site. If
airport medical services exist, the medical co‑ordinator may be
designated from the airport medical staff. In some cases, it may be necessary
to appoint an interim medical co‑ordinator, to be relieved when the
designated medical co‑ordinator arrives on site. The interim medical co‑ordinator
can be designated from the airport rescue and fire fighting personnel.
3.6.4 Medical and ambulance services may be an integral part
of the airport services, particularly whenever an ambulance service is a part of
the airport rescue and fire fighting service. Whenever medical and ambulance
services are not available at the airport, prearrangements with local, private,
public or military medical and ambulance services should be made. The plan has
to ensure the dispatch of a satisfactory assignment of personnel, equipment and
medical supplies. To ensure a rapid response, the plan can include arrangements
for land, sea and airborne transportation of medical services to the scene, and
subsequent transportation of persons requiring immediate medical care.
Prearrangements are necessary for the availability of doctors and other medical
personnel for all airport emergencies. The plan should list a sufficient number
of doctors to offset any absences at the time an emergency occurs.
3.6.5 The plan should designate a medical transportation
officer whose responsibilities would include:
(a) alerting hospitals and medical
personnel of the emergency;
(b) directing transportation of
casualties to appropriate hospitals suitable for treatment of the particular
injury;
(c) accounting for casualties by recording the
route of transportation, destination hospital, and casualty's name and extent
of injuries;
(d) advising hospitals when
casualties are en route; and
(e) maintaining contact with hospitals, medical
transportation, the senior medical officer, on‑scene command post, and
the command post.
3.6.6 Information on medical services at airports is
contained in Appendix 3.
3.7 HOSPITALS
3.7.1 Participating hospitals should have contingency
emergency plans to provide for mobilization if necessary of medical teams to
the accident site in the shortest possible time. Availability of qualified
personnel and adequate facilities at the hospitals to deal with airport
emergency situations is vital. In this respect, it is mandatory to establish in
advance an accurate list of surrounding hospitals. They should be classified
according to their effective receiving capacity and specialized features, such
as neurosurgical ability or burn treatment. In most circumstances it is unwise
to deplete the most proximate hospital to the accident site of essential
medical and nursing personnel.
3.7.2 The distance from the airport and the ability to receive
helicopters should be considered. Reliable two‑way communication shall be
provided between the hospitals, ambulances and helicopters. The alert of an
aircraft accident should be made to a single medical facility which then alerts
all other facilities according to a local medical communications network.
3.8
AIRCRAFT OPERATORS
3.8.1 It is important that arrangements be made in the plan to
disseminate full details of aircraft related information, such as number of
persons aboard, fuel quantity and existence of any dangerous goods, if
available. Aircraft operators are expected to be responsible for
providing this information. This information is vital to the on‑scene
commander and will influence the tactics and strategies used to deal with the
emergency. Operators also are responsible for making arrangements for any
uninjured persons who may require to continue their journey, or need
accommodations or other assistance. Additionally, aircraft operators may be
responsible for contacting deceased passengers' next of kin. The police and/or
international relief agencies (Red Cross, etc.) will normally assist in the
accomplishment of this task. Information concerning services provided by
aircraft operators following an aircraft accident is contained in Appendix 7.
3.8.2 The airport emergency plan should designate an aircraft
operator to respond to an emergency involving a chartered, private, military or
other non‑tenant aircraft operator.
3.8.3 The proper disposition of all cargo, mail and baggage
aboard an aircraft involved in an accident is the responsibility of the
aircraft operator. Permission to remove these items from the aircraft may be
granted by the on‑scene commander only after the emergency has been
abated and the requirements of the accident investigators have been met.
3.9
GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES
In order to avoid conflict and confusion between
participants, the airport emergency plan should clearly define the obligations,
controls and limitations placed on the airport authority by government
agencies. participants investigation, unlawful seizure of aircraft, bomb
threats and bombings, customs and postal matters, may all fall into
jurisdictions other than that of the airport authority.
3.10 AIRPORT TENANTS
Airport tenants and their employees should be considered a
prime source of readily available equipment and human resources. With their
intimate knowledge of the airport, airport tenants and their employees can have
a vital role in the emergency plan especially if their background includes
medical training, transportation or food preparation. It is
important that these persons be deployed under supervision and
assigned specific functions to avoid duplication of efforts and disruption of
other emergency operations. For their own personal safety, the use of these
people should be restricted until the emergency is under control. Employees
with first aid knowledge should be known and identified by means of a suitable
vest, during an emergency.
3.11
TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITIES (LAND, SEA, AIR)
3.11.1 In an emergency, vehicles are needed to carry out
rescue operations, to transport personnel and to haul supplies and debris.
Responsibility for the control of vehicles to be used during an emergency
should be assigned to a designated transportation officer. All of the transportation
equipment available at the airport, such as buses, trucks, maintenance vehicles
and automobiles, should be inventoried and assignments should be included in
the emergency plan. Arrangements in advance also might be made to obtain
additional vehicles from bus companies, leasing companies or garages. Also, by
prior agreement, the use of vehicles owned by airport employees might be
included in the emergency plan.
3.11.2 In airport emergencies, provision shall be made for an
easily identifiable guide vehicle, equipped with two-way radio communication,
to lead groups of vehicles from the rendezvous point(s) or staging area to the
accident site. This should be accomplished without interference with aircraft
operations.
3.11.3 Suitable rescue equipment and services shall be
available for use whenever the accident site and/or access routes require
transportation through water or swampy areas that cannot be fully served by
conventional, wheeled vehicles. This is particularly important where a
significant portion of approach/departure operations takes place over these
areas.
3.11.4 As a means to easily identify and distinguish the
transportation officer in charge, a lime‑green hard hat and lime‑green
vest or other apparel should be worn, with "TRANSPORTATION OFFICER"
in reflective lettering displayed back and front.
3.12 RESCUE
CO‑ORDINATION CENTRE
Rescue co‑ordination centres may play a significant role
when aircraft accidents occur in the vicinity of an airport but the accident
site is not known, or rescue facilities additional to those available at or
near the airport are required to be brought into action. Rescue co‑ordination
centres shall have means of immediate communication with all rescue units
within their areas of responsibility, including units providing aircraft,
helicopters and special rescue teams. Where appropriate, coastal radio stations
capable of alerting and communicating with surface vessels must be used.
Assistance from some of these units can be essential in responding to an
accident in the vicinity of the airport. It is therefore suggested that the
potential role of the rescue co‑ordination centre be specifically
highlighted in a separate paragraph in the airport emergency plan document.
3.13 CIVIL
DEFENCE
The airport emergency plan should be integrated with the local
community civil defence emergency plan and with local search and rescue teams.
Consideration should be given to the role the airport may have as, a result of
coordination with civil defence officials and in support of any civil defence
emergency plan requirements.
3.14 MUTUAL
AID AGREEMENTS
3.14.2 All mutual aid agreements shall be reviewed or revised
annually. Telephone and personnel contacts shall be reviewed and updated
monthly.
3.15
MILITARY
Where a military installation is located on or in the vicinity
of an airport, a mutual aid agreement shall be initiated to integrate these
personnel within the command, communication and co‑ordination functions
of the emergency plan.
3.16
HARBOUR PATROL AND COAST GUARD
Harbour patrol and coast guard are services which are vital to
airports in proximity to large water environments. Coordination of such
services should be included in the airport emergency plan where applicable.
These services usually interface with rescue co‑ordination centres and
mutual aid police units. To obtain the immediate response of such services,
maintenance of an adequate communication network is an essential ingredient of
the plan.
3.17 CLERGY
Arrangements should be made to contact the clergy to provide
comfort to casualties and relatives and to perform religious, services where
and when appropriate.
3.18 PUBLIC
INFORMATION OFFICER
3.18.1 A public information officer should be designated. This
officer should co‑ordinate and release factual information to the news
media and also should coordinate public information statements between ill
parties involved.
3.18.2 It is recommended that the television and radio news
media be requested to withhold the release of accident information for at least
fifteen minutes (or longer, if possible). This delay will allow sufficient time
to establish adequate security around the accident site and to establish road
blocks on routes providing ingress and egress to the accident site by
participating emergency medical agencies and other services.
3.18.3 The public information officer is responsible for
escorting the news media to the accident/incident location.
3.19 MENTAL
HEALTH AGENCIES
The emergency plan should include local mental health agencies. Therapeutic treatment, as well as follow‑up procedures for dealing with the possible long‑term effects of the emergency, should be available for survivors, relatives, eyewitnesses, and emergency scene personnel