Fire Department Prepares to Handle Any Aviation Emergency

The Minister of Justice, Integration, and Public Transportation, Mr. drs. Arthur Dowers, along with Aruba Fire Department Commander Johannes de Haas, was present to wish the firefighters success during this intensive training week.

Commander De Haas stated that the training facility in Jacksonville offers specialized instruction to keep firefighters fully prepared for their firefighting duties. This training is specifically designed to ensure that the Post Oscar team at the airport remains sharp and internationally certified, enabling them to respond effectively to any aviation emergency.

According to De Haas, completing this training is crucial to meeting the audit requirements that occur every three years to assess the airport fire brigade’s readiness. Firefighters who do not complete the course are not permitted to work standby duty at Post Oscar. Without enough certified personnel on standby at the airport, Post Oscar cannot operate. For this reason, it is essential to have a sufficient number of firefighters successfully certified through this training. Recently, 14 firefighters completed the course; now a second group of 14 is attending, and in the near future, three additional groups of 14 will travel to Jacksonville. The training will continue next year as well.

The course covers extinguishing aircraft fires, including engine fires and fires during landing, as well as passenger rescue techniques after an accident. All aspects of rescue operations during aviation accidents, including firefighting and potential scenarios such as aircraft crashes, are reviewed. Additionally, completing this training is part of the certification checklist of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).