LAFD 'Live Fire' Training at Los Angeles International Airport

Pending favorable weather, the Los Angeles Fire Department will conduct a 'live fire' training exercise at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). This special drill for firefighters is scheduled to occur between 4:00 AM and 6:00 AM PST on Tuesday, February 12, 2013.

There are no provisions for media or public access.

Historically, smoke from this Federally mandated training has been visible more than 30 miles from the airport. We wish to emphasize there is no cause for public alarm.

Federal Aviation Regulation Part 139 requires all Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) personnel to attend a live fire training drill at least once per year.

LAFD Airport Rescue Fire Fighters serving LAX and Van Nuys Airport use Los Angeles International Airport's $3.75 million state-of-the-art training facility to hone their lifesaving skills. This training site, located at the southwest corner of the 5.6 square mile airport grounds, was built using airport funds. It is designed to support the rigorous demands of the Los Angeles Fire Department while meeting strict aviation and environmental regulations.

Before commencing these live fire drills, LAFD members carefully monitor climate conditions. Drills are conducted in strict adherence to standards designed to maximize safety and minimize environmental concerns. These factors are confirmed with the LAX Control Tower before the final "go-ahead" is given.

These periodic live fire drills at LAX generally take place between 4:00 AM and 6:00 AM, but may be postponed at the last minute due to abrupt changes in climate or as a result of Fire Department or aviation concerns.

We are pleased to note that all water, fuel and firefighting foam used at this LAX training facility is captured. After going through a complex series of scrubbers, water is tested to assure it meets strict clean water standards before being discharged to the nearby Hyperion Treatment Plant.

Passengers and air crews should use LAX and Van Nuys Airports with confidence, knowing that highly trained members of the LAFD are always ready to protect them.

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Submitted by Erik Scott & Brian Humphrey, Spokesmen
Los Angeles Fire Department

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Small Plane Crashes on Cal State Northridge Campus

NORTHRIDGE - The crash of a small single-engine plane attempting to make an emergency landing on a college athletic field Sunday afternoon, sent the plane's two occupants to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The Los Angeles Fire Department received an emergency call from the Control Tower at Van Nuys Airport at 3:09 PM on November 25, 2012, reporting a small aircraft down on the campus of California State University Northridge (CSUN), 2.5 miles northwest of the airport.

Aviation authorities stated the Cessna 206, a six-seat single engine airplane with two persons aboard, was traveling from Novato, California to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, when an in-flight emergency was declared.

Witnesses describe the pilot attempting to land the ailing aircraft on the athletic fields that occupy the northeast section of CSUN's South Campus. The plane quickly traversed the fields, before striking a chain link fence and a tree, which sheared the Cessna's left wing and caused the craft to overturn. Amazingly, there were no injuries on the ground, and no campus structures damaged. Thick smoke seen as the airplane came to a rest soon dissipated, and what was initially believed to be a small fire, may have simply been burning oil.

Several bystanders came to the immediate aid of the male pilot and female passenger, assisting them from the wreckage. The Los Angeles Fire Department arrived quickly to abate the fire hazard and provide medical care to the pilot and passenger, who were described as in fair condition with non-life threatening injuries. The two were taken by LAFD ambulance to an area hospital.

The Fire Department remained on-site for more than four hours to assure campus safety, minimize environmental harm and preserve the scene for a coordinated investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board.

Dispatched Units: E70 RA70 E103 E287 T87 E87 T73 E273 RA104 HR56 EM15 BC15 UR88 DC3 H8

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Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

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LAX Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Facility Achieves Unique Certification

A proud statement from our friends at Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA)...

Los Angeles, California – November 16, 2011) The new Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting facility - also known as LAFD Station 80 at Los Angeles International Airport, recently achieved LEED ® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The structure is the first Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting facility at an international airport to achieve LEED ® Gold. The Gold certification recognizes the project’s efforts at maximizing operational efficiency while minimizing negative environmental impacts. It is the second building at LAX to incorporate LEED ® standards and receive LEED ® certification. The first building to incorporate LEED ® standards was the $737-million renovation of the Tom Bradley International Terminal – the first-ever for a renovation project at a U.S. airport. It received LEED ® Silver certification.

The LEED ® rating system is designed to encourage and facilitate development of more sustainable buildings throughout the United States. Points for certification are distributed across major credit categories such as Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality.

For example, energy efficiency and water reduction measures incorporated into the building’s design will result in significant annual energy savings of 35 percent per year compared to a similar building that did not incorporate LEED ® standards. Low-flow plumbing fixtures in the building will result in significant annual water savings of 39 percent, or 35,800 gallons of potable water per year. In addition, more than 99 percent, or 3,300 tons, of on-site generated construction-related waste was either recycled or salvaged.

Other “green” construction measures incorporated into the project include:

• Efficient lighting fixtures and controls with occupancy sensors throughout the
  facility to reduce lighting and save energy during off-peak hours.
• Twenty percent of total building materials were manufactured using recycled materials.
• Low-emitting paints, adhesives, and sealants in the building interior.
• More than 12,000 gallons of recycled water was used for dust control during construction, instead of potable water.
• Upgraded controls for heating, ventilation and air conditioning that reset temperatures to maximum efficiency without sacrificing occupant comfort.

Los Angeles World Airports Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey said, "The LEED ® Gold certification reflects our commitment to contribute to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s vision of making Los Angeles the cleanest big city in America, and is in keeping with a sustainable ‘green’ building policy adopted by our Board of Airport Commissioners that commits us to incorporate LEED ® standards in all our future construction projects."

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The Los Angeles Fire Department congratulates LAWA executive leadership for this noteworthy achievement, and for their longstanding commitment to superior aircraft rescue and fire fighting services.

Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

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