ARFF (Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighter) is a safe and realistic aircraft fire training center located at the Salt Lake City International Airport. The training center is one of only a handful of propane-based fire training centers in the world.

The facility features a full-scale computer-controlled aircraft mockup with continuous computer-controlled burns that offer thousands of training scenarios that can be consistently and easily reproduced. The aircraft mockup is 75 ft. long and 25 ft. high and is located in the middle of a 125 ft. burn pit. Its main feature is realism with a detailed cockpit, seats, luggage compartment, cargo containers, lavatory, galley and engines at the wings and tail. The realism comes to life with the fire that is produced by clean-burning liquid propane fuels.

Unlike fire fighting done years ago with just water and heavy water, today's training offers various fire-fighting agents , including water, simulated halon, foam and dry chemicals. The fire fighters don't go near the fires these days with just a hood over their heads for protection against heat but wear a self-contained breathing apparatus, hard hats and proximity suits.

The two Oshkosh fire trucks the fire fighters are trained in are impressive I was amazed that a single man is trained to maneuver the truck and operate the spray nozzle at the same time. That's right. When those trucks go out to fight fires there's only one man controlling all of its functions.

For more information you can contact
Captain Brian Pugh
at the following locations:

phone: (801) 531-4521
email: brian.pugh@ci.slc.ut.us
web site: http://www.ci.slc.ut.us/airport/arff