Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport has reopened its aircraft rescue firefighting training and research facility and announced a partnership with Embry-Riddle after a yearlong expansion that includes a new burn pit and “the only” Airbus A380 training hull in the United States. The $29 million expansion was designed to enhance the facility’s real-world training environment and improve its capabilities as a research center. Prior to the expansion, the facility trained more than 15,000 students from 24 countries. It will now integrate an Aviation Fire Science program developed by Embry-Riddle. DFW is also partnering with the FAA and ICAO for information sharing.
DFW aims to share the results of research conducted at the facility to help develop and share best practices. Course offerings include aircraft and structural fire suppression, incident management, aircraft rescue and firefighting, emergency vehicle operations and vehicle mass applications. The facility is integrated with regulators, aircraft designers, firefighting organizations, air carriers and equipment manufacturers for the purpose of sharing learned experiences both in the real world and training/research environment. The facility’s “unique” A380 mockup offers multiple representations of aircraft interiors, including passenger and cargo aircraft. It includes “key components” of the cockpit and “is situated on a fuel spill burn area” that the airport says can better simulate interior and exterior emergency scenarios.
