AFRS completes specialist RTI instructor and assessor training

The Airport Fire and Rescue Service has completed its latest Road Traffic Incident instructor and assessor courses, strengthening its operational capability to respond to complex airside and landside emergencies.

The intensive week-long RTI programme, held just before Christmas, revalidated existing instructors and delivered newly qualified instructors. It provided advanced skills in managing road traffic incidents, teaching best-practice techniques and leading crews during challenging rescue scenarios.

The course was delivered locally by Simon Bolton from SimTrainer UK, who has experience in both local authority and airport firefighting, to a group of six firefighters and leading firefighters.

The skills and techniques covered extended beyond road-going vehicles to incidents involving complex specialist vehicles operating in and around airfields. The training also addressed approaches and safe extrication methods for releasing trapped casualties from a crashed airframe.

A separate three-day course saw another group of six firefighting personnel achieve an assessor qualification. This will enable the service to continue evaluating operational performance internally and to maintain quality-assured standards of training.

The newly qualified and accredited instructors and assessors will now support the recurrent annual training programme within the Airport Fire and Rescue Service.

The Minister with responsibility for Fire Services, Leslie Bruzon, said: “These courses ensure AFRS teams remain not only highly skilled in their operational response roles, but also equipped to train and assess others to the highest standard. Investing in our people and the quality of operational performance directly enhances the safety and resilience, of both our airport and the wider community.”