NFPA 424: Guide for Airport/Community Emergency Planning, 2013 Edition

Reduce risks to public safety with this essential document that provides proven recommendations on how to plan for emergencies using personnel from all concerned agencies, and how to establish adequate emergency training programs.

NFPA 424: Guide for Airport/Community Emergency Planning describes elements that require consideration before, during, and after an emergency has occurred, including command, communication, and coordination functions. It is important to note that the close proximity of an airport to surrounding communities and the possibility of an off-airport aircraft incident give rise to the need for mutual aid emergency agreements as part of the emergency plan.

2013 changes that bring the document up to date with commonly used practices in the airport rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) community today include:

• Incorporation of NIMS terminology and NIMS positions
• Updating photos, tables, charts, and artwork to reflect what is commonly used in the ARFF industry
• Incident Command establishing and using a joint information center (JIC)
• Establishing and ensuring there is a locally adopted emergency management system in place to handle aircraft accidents
• Clearly defining what credentials are needed for scene access
• The promotion, inclusion, and use of incident management systems at aircraft accidents/incidents
• Identifying the need to include as many available resources that are at the disposal of the incident commander and to ensure the coordination with local medical facilities

The 2013 NFPA 424 is a valuable tool for those departments that provide ARFF Services at airports as well as fire departments that might be used as a mutual aid department in the event of an aircraft accident/incident. (Softbound, 53 pp., 2013)