Rescue and firefighting services: How can you plan for a better service and run an emergency exercise that really tests contingencies?

Safety and security is a primary focus of regulatory bodies in the air transport industry. One of the ways of providing safety and security at airports is the presence of an efficient and reliable rescue and firefighting service (RFFS). This can be achieved by investing in human resources, equipment and infrastructure, as well as regular testing and evaluation of airport contingencies. Having a plan is not sufficient preparedness. Even the best-written procedures must be tested to identify bottlenecks in the contingencies before an accident occurs. It is worth appreciating the fact that determining and setting up the right team responsible for testing the contingencies has a critical impact on the success of the exercise. This paper aims at exposing protocols implemented by the Ghana Airports Company Limited to enable the RFFS personnel to attain the necessary competency levels to make them efficient for all types of emergencies. These protocols include but are not limited to educational requirements, medical and physical fitness. The paper further exposes the reader to the various steps in organising realistic emergency simulation exercises and the levels of emergency exercises; namely, table top, partial and full-scale exercises. The responsibility of assisting agencies, role players and the availability of resources commensurate with the simulation exercise is also reviewed. The reader will appreciate the fact that simulation exercises are primarily focused on evaluating the procedures and not people. The paper also highlights strengths and weaknesses drawn from other large-scale emergency exercises for the benefit of the reader.