Shannon Airport has welcomed eleven new recruits to its Airport Police and Fire Service (APFS).
The new graduates hail from across Clare and Limerick, come from a wide variety of backgrounds and previous industries. They were selected earlier this year following an exhaustive process which saw applicants being whittled down from over 150.
As part of their training, the graduates, underwent an intensive three-month programme to equip them with the necessary skills covering a range of topics in Aviation Firefighting and Aviation Security to ensure they are competent to carry out the role as an Airport Police Fire Service member. Elements of the course included Emergency Communications and Alerting Facilities, Fire Dynamics, Extinguishing Agents and Firefighting Techniques, Search & Rescue Tactics, Operational Tactics, Airfield Layout and Aircraft Construction, Surveillance and Patrols, and all the while working as a team.
They were also put through their paces with breathing apparatus training and intensive ladder drills, to enable them to work at heights and in areas with high temperatures and toxic atmospheres.
The graduates received training in using Shannon Airport’s state-of-the art High Reach Extendable Turret (HRET) fire tenders which can hold up to 11,500 litres of water. HRET tenders have additional safety benefits for airport fire service personnel as fires can be extinguished from outside of the risk area by operating the HRET from the vehicle cab, allowing the application of water, foam, and dry chemical directly to the seat of the fire.
The airport was the first in Ireland to take the delivery of two HRET tenders in 2019.
