YYC prepares to welcome our new firefighters

The Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) project team is pleased to report that we are on track to transition fire services at YYC as planned at the end of May. This is in large part due to the excellent leadership we have for our teams and the continuous efforts put forth from those involved.

Leading the YYC team is Sean Curtis, General Manager of Emergency Response Services. Sean (pictured above in the red helmet) joined the Airport Authority in November 2018 and comes with 25 years of Firefighting and emergency management experience.

In partnership with Sean is YYC Fire Chief, Sylvain Thériault, who leads the Pro-Tec team at YYC. Sylvain (pictured above in the white helmet) has an extensive background in Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting and is an experienced airport Fire Chief and firefighting trainer.

In order to ensure a smooth transition, a number of prepatory activities have taken place during the past month. For example, as part of the Canadian Airport Regulations, qualified Aircraft Rescue Firefighters are required to undergo annual live fire training and certifications. During the week of May 22, our firefighting team attended the FESTI College in Toronto, Ontario where they all successfully completed an intensive two-day training exercise, meeting certification requirements.

There are many different elements pertaining to aircraft firefighting," says Jordan McPherson, Firefighter. "It's a unique style of firefighting as there are various types of aircraft such as cargo, cargo-passenger and passenger and the team must be versed, highly trained and ready for anything." 

In addition to ARFF training, the YYC Pro-Tec team also completed their Airside Vehicle Operations Permit (AVOP) in just over two weeks with a nearly 90 per cent pass rate!

Another exciting announcement is that we have finalized the name of the firehall, and as of May 29 it will be known as YYC Station 1. "This is a truly historic moment. For the first time in YYC history, we are responsible for our own firefighting services, and as a result, have the opportunity to name our own firehall," says Sean Curtis.

Finally, we would like to introduce our newly designed fire service patch for YYC. The Firefighting team will proudly wear these patches on their uniforms once they assume command at YYC Station 1.

Gold: Officer patch (Fire Chief, Deputy Chiefs & Captains); Grey: Firefighter patch

As the project evolves, we will continue to update the airport community on our progress. Please provide any questions, comments, feedback or concerns to arff@yyc.com and stay tuned for more information.