Fire training sends flames into sky at Tampa International Airport: 'We need to be prepared'

Airport fire training

Over the past few months, there have been more eyes on the skies and safety has become a big topics, especially with the holiday travel season. Fire crews at our nation's airports train to make sure they respond quickly to disaster, and that's what crews did all week at Tampa International Airport. FOX 13's Blake DeVine reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - You may have seen or spotted a thick plume of black smoke rising above Tampa International Airport. Don’t worry, though, the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) Division has been performing training exercises after sunset this week.

Big picture view:

The drill simulates an aircraft emergency, giving firefighters real-world experience and preparing them to put out flames within minutes of a prop plane igniting with fire.

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"You shouldn’t be alarmed," James Billotte, the airport division chief for Tampa Fire Rescue, said. "This is intentionally set by firefighters as a training exercise."

Fireballs can shoot up to 40 feet into the air on the tarmac, so Billotte said speed is key in these scenarios as his fire crews aim to respond to any aircraft emergency within three minutes.

"That includes our reaction time from the station to actually being on scene, flowing water on an aircraft," he said. "We’re very fast, we’re very efficient here."

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What they're saying:

This isn’t an average fire. In fact, it’s much hotter than a gasoline-fueled fire as this exercise is sparked by jet fuel and burns at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

"We can hear the flames and feel the heat," Natalie Brown, a lieutenant with Tampa Fire Rescue, said. "It gets us prepared if anything terrible happens, so we’re ready for it."

An aircraft bursting into flames would be a worst-case scenario, which is why this training sharpens their skills.

"It’s so important our crews are in sync with each other to put those fires out," Brown said.

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While these drills simulate a worst-case scenario, Billotte said it's critical for his crews to sharpen their skills in order to be ready when it matters most.

"Since these things do not happen on a regular basis, we want to be ready for that type of event," he said. "The only way to do that is practice how we play, so we need to be prepared."

Dig deeper:

Tampa International Airport’s ARFF division staffs 45 personnel and uses specialized rescue vehicles that carry thousands of gallons of water and foam. 

The exercise fulfills the annual live-fire certification required for all ARFF firefighters. This annual exercise certifies these firefighters with the FAA.