Firefighters from the Prospect Heights FPD and the Wheeling FD trained together for aircraft rescue and firefighting at the Chicago Executive Airport
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro photo
ARFF training at Chicago Executive Airport, 8-19-20
#1 by MABAS 21 on August 23, 2020 - 1:48 PM
Check out this link and watch the video.
https://chicagoareafire.com/blog/2013/04/northfield-ems-box-alarm-4-21-13/
#2 by Sebastian on August 23, 2020 - 1:23 PM
Thanks for the info chief,
Prospect Heights is lucky to have you!
Best regards,
Sebastian
#3 by Drew Smith on August 23, 2020 - 11:55 AM
If any aircraft (commercial or general aviation) declares an emergency they may land on any runway. However, the FAA will then investigate the authenticity of that declaration. Runway length is a deciding factor as each aircraft needs a certain length to land, safely or otherwise. Besides landing, eventually the plane would need to takeoff and generally you need more length for takeoff than landing.
More than 30 years ago when the Glenview Naval Air Station was active a Galaxy C-5 plane was on visual approach to GNAS and had mistaken PWK for GNAS. Both runways shared a similar north-south orientation separated about five miles east-west. Had it touched down it was said that they would have had to disassemble the plane as the runway wouldn’t accommodate its takeoff.
#4 by Sebastian on August 23, 2020 - 6:39 AM
Chief Smith,
Can A commercial plane land at pwk in an emergency? Or are the runways too small?
Thank you,
Sebastian
#5 by Drew Smith on August 22, 2020 - 8:48 PM
There is a gate adjacent to the firehouse’s front apron. The gate is automatic and we have ways to open it. For a variety of reasons, we do not use that gate often and use one of the various posted staging areas.
Indexed airports are FAA FAR Part 139 “commercial flight” airports. PWK is not an indexed airport as it does not offer scheduled, retail service such as ORD or MDW. An airport is indexed based on the number of daily flights of a particular length aircraft. Runway length, passenger load, etc. isn’t a factor in the index. Simply, aircraft length is used. The indexes are A, B, C, D, and E (E is the longest aircraft). If you have five or more daily flights (takeoff or landing) of the applicable length then you are that index. You could have eight daily flights but is only five at X number of feet long you could be a “B” but have one or two D or E land too. Chicago Rockford is indexed as a C but with UPS flights (which are not FAR 139) those planes would be index E. Index determines the minimum size and number of ARFF vehicles:
Index A = One vehicle w/ 500# dry chem/halon & 100 gallons AFFF solution
Index B = One vehicle w/ above dry chem/halon & 1500 gallons AFFF solution
Index C = Two vehicles. One same as Index B and one more which brings total AFFF to 3000 gallons
Index D = Three vehicles. One same as Index A and two more which brings total AFFF to 4000 gallons
Index E = Three vehicles. One same as Index A and two more which brings total AFFF to 6000 gallons
Two more points:
1) ARFF vehicles need only be staffed during hours of flight operations. Some airports set times such as 0700-2200 and require advanced notice if a commercial flight wants to land or take off overnight.
2) ARFF vehicle staffing is solely for operation of the ARFF vehicle(s) and not for all the other fire suppression and rescue functions.
To your point about either crash truck (or both) leaving the airport, since PWK isn’t indexed and neither the FAA or airport pays the wages of the firefighters we are able to use our members for any function that supports our overall mission even if that removes the vehicle and/or personnel from the airport.
#6 by Bill Post on August 22, 2020 - 8:37 AM
Thanks for the information Drew. As Station 39 is located next to the a fence with a locked gate, I assume they have a key to access the airport if necessary?
I have another question. Several years ago on the northbound Edens there was serious truck accident with a car involved (thank G-d everyone survived). Northfield responded and requested both Crash Trucks 39 and 23. Both the crash trucks that cover the Chicago Executive Airport were not at the airport. Were there no scheduled take offs or landings at the time? It occured at night however I am not certain of the time. Normally I would assume that one of the two would be in quarters to keep the airport covered.
Thanks again.
#7 by Drew Smith on August 21, 2020 - 1:33 PM
Prospect Heights’ Fire Station 39 is not located on airport property. The south and east lot lines adjoin the airport property. The PHFPD retains title to the firehouse real estate. Topography prevents the firehouse from having a bay that allows us to drive directly on to the airport. The airport master plan recently presented by the airport commission may one day create a change in topography that would permit this.
Chicago Executive Airport (formerly Palwaukee, although the FAA designator remains PWK) is jointly owned by the City of Prospect Heights and the Village of Wheeling. This ownership is not 50-50 but rather “tenants in common.” The north-south municipal boundary runs from just north of the Ramada hotel on Milwaukee Ave. west to just north of Messner Drive on Wolf Road. There is no natural landmark(s) on the airfield to indicate this boundary.
Both ARFF vehicles were obtained by the fire departments and not the airport. Wheeling obtained their P-19 when the Glenview Naval Air Station closed in the mid-1990s. The PHFPD purchased our E-One Titan 4X4 from the Lake Charles LA Airport and rehabbed it in house. Both crash trucks have 1000 gallon water tanks and foam.
Both crash trucks are jump companies. PHFPD Station 39’s three-member company jumps between the engine, crash truck, and ambulance (ambulance only runs second-due). Wheeling also runs CT23 as a jump company. Station 24 has a jump company between the tower, squad, and a third ambulance as well as another company that does not jump.
Since 1994 there have been at least 41 aircraft incidents with five of them resulting in multiple fatalities.
Beginning in the late 1990s both FDs have operated under a joint response agreement for aircraft incidents. Typical EMS and fire calls located in hangars and outside the fence are handled like all other such calls with the responsible FD responding unless automatic aid or mutual aid is required. For airfield calls there are two levels of joint response: Standby (formerly Code 3) and Crash (formerly Code 4). Standby sends 2 crash trucks, an ambulance, and an engine or squad plus two BCs. Crash sends standby response plus two additional ambulances, an extrication company, a tanker, and all PH and Wheeling staff chiefs; effectively all on-duty PH and Wheeling companies. We send two BCs on the initial response due to the complexity of communicating with the Air Traffic Control Tower and navigating the airfield and of course commanding the incident.
#8 by Bill Post on August 20, 2020 - 7:48 PM
It’s interesting that Prospect Heights and Wheeling both have ARFF rigs for the airport even though Prospect Heights Station 39 is actually on the airport property. I believe the Chicago Executive Airport is located in both of their jurisdictions.
Are both Crash Truck 39 and Crash Truck 23 jump companies with their engines or do they have dedicated drivers assigned? I believe that either one of the two ambulances at Wheeling Station 24 or Truck 24’s crew jumps to Squad 24 when it is needed. Perhaps someone here knows more of the manning arrangements for the ARFFs and the squad.
#9 by Mike L on August 19, 2020 - 9:14 PM
Thanks, Chief! Was there an issue going to ORD for you? Glad you got the grant, regardless! Nice to train at your own place.
#10 by Drew Smith on August 19, 2020 - 8:35 PM
Mike, it was ARFF Specialists out of Duluth, MN. We received a $24,000 Assistance to FF Grant to pay for three days of training and all the propane.
#11 by Mike L on August 19, 2020 - 7:40 PM
ARFF life! Nice to see them getting some hands on. Larry, was that MUFRTI’s prop they used or Duluth, MN? Or someone else’s? Not too many travelling ARFF props in the midwest now since Kellog closed shop.