Aviation Fire Protection Issues
by William Mulcahey

The new millennium is rapidly presenting new challenges to the aviation fire protection community. Super-jumbo aircraft, such as the new Airbus A-380, increased air traffic, crowded runways, and the ever-present fire threat to airport terminals affect airport and domestic fire and emergency professionals world-wide. The risk of a major aircraft accident occurring either on or off the airport environs is omnipresent. No community is immune.

In January 2000 the non-profit INTERNATIONAL AVIATION FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION (IAFPA) was formed by a group of municipal, airport, and industry fire professionals as a proactive professional and fraternal association. The mission of the IAFPA is to bring municipal, military, airport and other fire/safety specialists together to address aircraft fire fighting and airport fire protection problems, and to promote changes that will improve aviation and aircraft passenger fire safety.

The IAFPA headquarters is based in London, with a United States office operated in New York to better serve its world-wide membership. Unlike other aviation fire organisations, the IAFPA focuses its mission through the “one international community” to address common problems. In this way, collective ideas and opinions are gathered, and solutions formulated, with new techniques and procedures to deal with them disseminated to its members. No single country’s ‘special interests’ motivate the IAFPA – everyone’s concerns are equal, and everyone’s opinions count.

The IAFPA Management Group consists of the Executive Board and the Board of Directors. The Executive Board, comprised of the Chairman, Association Director, Treasurer, Secretary and Business Manager, formulates policy and direction of the IAFPA, with input and guidance from the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors consists of a cross section of professionals comprised of municipal and airport fire services, military fire services, training establishments, international directors, air traffic controllers associations and other allied professions. This diversified group of professionals offers a new and exciting perspective for anyone interested in aircraft fire fighting, airport fire protection, and aircraft passenger fire safety.

To represent its mission across the globe, the IAFPA has introduced Regional Managers representing Asia, Africa, Canada, The America’s, Mediterranean, and Oceania. Other international regions will be represented as the IAFPA continues to expand its growing world-wide membership.

Since its establishment, the IAFPA has received positive support from many aviation and fire protection establishments around the world. The IAFPA believes that building closer ties with organisations that have similar interests and goals will help to promote positive movement towards improving aviation fire protection and fire fighting.

The IAFPA is fast evolving as a leading international aviation fire association. As new aviation fire protection challenges evolve, the IAFPA will be there to offer its members, and others, an international resource of expertise to tap into to offer solutions.

The IAFPA will be holding its third annual ‘Aviation Fire International 2002’ Conference at the ExCel Exhibition Centre in Docklands, London, England on September 3rd to 5th, 2002. IAFPA members will be joined by delegates from municipal, military, industrial and airport fire and rescue professionals from around the world at the best aviation fire conference of the new millennium. World class speakers will present informative subjects ranging from airport fire protection, innovations in aircraft fire protection, operational overviews of recent air crashes, aviation fire training, and much more. Complimenting the IAFPA conference, the FIRE 2002 manufacturers exhibition, the largest held in Great Britain, is also taking place.