Airport fire service staff complete specialist training courses

Firefighting staff at all levels of the Airport Fire and Rescue Service have recently completed a range of specialist training courses in incident command and aircraft recovery.

Station Officer Jamie Linares attended a two-day Incident Command Assessor (ICAT) course at the Fire Service College. The programme, accredited by Skills for Justice, focuses on training assessors to evaluate command competence, knowledge and skills in a variety of operational scenarios.

Completion of the course leads to a Level 4 Certificate of Achievement and increases the team’s capacity to assess operational command performance and incident management. The AFRS said the use of consistent assessment methods supports alignment with UK Fire Service National Occupational Standards and the development of competent incident commanders.

Also at the Fire Service College, Station Officers Karim Afzan and Jamie Linares undertook a course on designing and delivering incident command training. The training focused on developing scenario-based exercises to support decision-making, command competence and operational leadership across all levels of the fire and rescue service.

Both officers gained skills in creating realistic training scenarios and assessing command performance in line with UK national standards. The AFRS said this expertise will strengthen the local resilience training framework and support operational readiness and resilience across the service.

Sub Officer Daniel Cabezutto and Leading Firefighter Julian Lopez completed a Disabled Aircraft Recovery Management Course in Amsterdam organised by Resqtec. The programme brought together international specialists to provide training on the safe and efficient handling of aircraft recovery operations.

The course covered the required equipment, complex lifting techniques, incident coordination and modern recovery technologies. The AFRS said participation in the course strengthens its capability to respond to aviation-related emergencies and that the knowledge gained will be shared across teams, complementing an Aircraft Accident and Investigation Branch training session the two firefighters attended locally a few weeks earlier.

The Minister with responsibility for Fire Services, Leslie Bruzon, said: “Ensuring our frontline responders receive continual exposure to a broad spectrum of skills and specialisms, and become qualified to the highest possible standards, further strengthens and reassures public confidence in our emergency preparedness and response capabilities. Professional and organisational development remain core priorities within the AFRS, so I would like to congratulate these individuals on their respective achievements.”