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Mike Bessette, left, and Christian Goodman tackle a simulated jet-engine fire during a training exercise at Yellowknife Airport. - Daniel Campbell/NNSL photo |
'Feathers and metal don't mix' Airport firefighters ready for anything from putting out training fires to scaring birds - it's all in a day's work
Daniel Campbell
Northern News Services
Published Monday, July 29, 2013
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Sherry Beard, fire chief for Yellowknife's Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF), loves her job.
Whether they're scaring wildlife away from the airport runway, battling training fires or fighting an actual aircraft fire, the crew based at Yellowknife Airport are eager and ready.
The average Yellowknife passenger might not realize how much of a role the airport fire crew plays in their travel plans, but rest assured it's a large one, especially in the summer.
"This is the busiest time of year," Beard says on July 24.
"Dealing with bird and wildlife in the summer is pretty encompassing."
Along with their firefighting duties, the ARFF members need to keep birds and wildlife off Yellowknife's runways.
In July, Transport Canada reported six bird incidents at Yellowknife Airport.
It's the perfect place for birds to hang out, Beard says. They have good line of sight to hunt and can sit on the warm tarmac to digest their food.
Since May, the department has dealt with more than 1,400 birds on Yellowknife's runways. They've only had two incidents this year where birds have struck aircraft. They're goal, Beard said, is zero.
"Feathers and metal don't mix," she said.
From loud bird cannons to hand-held scare pistols, the team does what it can to keep the birds away.
The last resort, Beard says, is killing the animals. They've had to kill 50 birds this year.
"Some animals are just too dangerous to have around the airport," Beard said. "Sometimes they just won't move, we'll have to kill them."
The firefighters patrol the airfield at least once every hour to observe wildlife activity.
Bird management might take up a large portion of their day, but Beard says the firefighters are always ready for the worst case scenario.
Beard avoids talking about some of the serious accidents she and her crews have attended.
"It's unfortunate when they result in tragedies. It affects everybody.
"I just try and push some of that stuff to the back, I get to work with some of the best people I've met in my life," Beard says.
Their schedules are dictated by the airlines, but they're usually at the airport from 5:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. in two overlapping shifts, which run about 12 hours each.
Trevor Bourgeois, acting captain at the station, said they've never had a problem with dedication.
"They're all young guys, so they're great on call-outs. Most people get here within 10 minutes," Bourgeois said, about the time it takes for firefighters to get to the airport during emergencies.
Most of the members of Yellowknife's ARFF are in their 20s or early 30s. Beard, the fire chief, is only 31.
Her eyes glint when she describes some of the training they're able to do day-to-day. She and Bourgeois talk excitedly about the new training facilities at the airport, such as the carcass of a 737 jet, a two-storey burn structure and a 5,000-square-foot burn pit.
Two years ago, personnel needed to travel south for training. Now they do everything in their backyard.
It's mid-afternoon and they've already done a couple fire exercises, but there's time for more.
Beard starts a generator at the training site, pumping fuel around a simulated jet engine. Bourgeois calmly walks over to the spurting fuel and throws a lit flare on top of it, igniting it into a sweltering ball of orange flame.
Then Beard calls her squad to action on the radio.
"They don't know what they're going to encounter," she says, "It's always a surprise."
Beard sets up different training scenarios and her firefighters need to react quickly. This time it's a simulated jet engine fire.
The airport fire truck rolls up and immediately douses the flaming engine with its water turret. Two firefighters roll out a second hose and begin to approach the blaze. Within seconds, the on-foot firefighters are spraying out the last remnants of the fire and cooling off the hull of the simulated aircraft.
After the exercises, the crew gathers around Beard and they discuss how they could have done things better.
It's sunny and about 24 C. The firefighters are still wearing their helmets, heavy jackets and big boots. Sweat is pouring down their faces and the sound of their laboured breathing undertones Beard's advice.
But the crew is still eager.
"Can I do another?" asks Christian Goodman, who was driving the vehicle and operating the turret.
Beard smiles and pauses.
"No, that's enough for today," she says, smiling.
The firefighters climb into their trucks, driving back to the station to finish their shifts for the day.
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