Specific Technologies of Aviation Rescue and Firefighting Operations over the Years

The twentieth century was a period of rapid development in aviation. It was a time of great progress in the construction of aircraft, the development of ground infrastructure and the improvement of qualifications of aviation personnel. Over the years, aviation has gone from cruise flights in simple aircraft to transatlantic flights, complex aircraft with hundreds of passengers on board. Military aviation can operate at speeds exceeding the speed of sound and in all weather conditions. The infrastructure of large airports has reached the size of cities. Over the past century, the development of aviation has been followed by changes in the organization and equipment of rescue and fire-fighting services. The public does not accept the loss of human life or large-scale material damage and environmental damage. In the search for effective extinguishing agents and methods of administering them, people began to look for ways other than field fire services. Specialized firefighting units have appeared at airports, which are designed for specific rescue and firefighting operations on aircraft and infrastructure. For many years, attempts have been made to select special rescue and firefighting technologies capable of improving the effectiveness and safety of operations. Quite quickly, the car was chosen as the means of transport for airport rescue services. But over time, the need was recognized for it to have different characteristics and equipment than a vehicle for village and town safety units. As a result of various experiments, unusual technical solutions designed to solve basic problems specific to airports were developed. Equally interesting was the path to determining the best fire extinguishing agents and their means of administration. From hand-held fire extinguishers to remote-controlled cannons administering thousands of liters or kilograms of extinguishing agents over a long distance. The publication provides information on the history and development of basic firefighting technologies specific to aviation and some pointers to the future.