The Airport Fire and Rescue Service (AFRS) has announced the successful completion of its latest Road Traffic Incident (RTI) Instructor and Assessor Courses. These courses were carried out just before Christmas and strengthens the team’s operational capabilities in responding to complex airside and landside emergencies.

The intensive week long RTI programme served to both revalidate existing instructors, as well as delivering newly qualified instructors. It provided them with advanced skills in managing road traffic incidents, teaching best-practice techniques and leading crews during challenging rescue scenarios. Mr Simon Bolton from SimTrainer UK, who has a wealth of knowledge and experience, in both Local Authority and Airport Firefighting, delivered this course locally to a group of six Firefighters and Leading Firefighters.

The skills and techniques learnt on this course did not solely relate to road going vehicles but also extended well beyond, delivering knowledge to deal with incidents involving particular types of complex specialist vehicles that may be found operating in and around airfields. At the same time these skills and knowledge also transpose well to address the particular approaches and safe extrication methods needed to successfully release trapped casualties from within a crashed airframe.

In addition, another group of six firefighting personnel achieved an Assessor qualification over a separate three day course. This qualification enables the AFRS to continue evaluating operational performance internally and to maintain the highest quality assured standards of training.

All the newly qualified and accredited Instructors and Assessors will now go on to support the recurrent annual training programme within the AFRS, reinforcing its commitment to excellence and promoting continuous professional development.

The Minister with responsibility for Fire Services, Leslie Bruzon, stated; “These courses ensure AFRS teams remain not only highly skilled in their operational response roles, but also equipped to train and assess others to the highest standard. Investing in our people and the quality of operational performance directly enhances the safety and resilience, of both our airport and the wider community.”