Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF)

Operators of Part 139 airports must provide aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) services during air carrier operations that require a Part 139 certificate. The guidance and resources below address ARFF training, ARFF vehicles, and other aviation fire and rescue requirements. More on Part 139 >>

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ARFF Guidance

ARFF-Related Advisory Circulars
Number Title
150/5200-12 First Responders’ Responsibility for Protecting Evidence at the Scene of an Aircraft Accident/Incident
150/5200-31 Airport Emergency Plan
150/5210-5 Painting, Marking, and Lighting of Vehicles Used on an Airport
150/5210-6 Aircraft Fire Extinguishing Agents
150/5210-7 Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Communications
150/5210-13 Airport Water Rescue Plans and Equipment
150/5210-14 Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting Equipment, Tools and Clothing
150/5210-15 Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Station Building Design
150/5210-17 Programs for Training of Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Personnel
150/5210-19 Driver's Enhanced Vision System (DEVS)
150/5210-23 ARFF Vehicle and High Reach Extendable Turret (HRET) Operation, Training and Qualifications
150/5220-10 Guide Specification for Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Vehicles
150/5220-17 Design Standards for an Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Training Facility
150/5220-26 Airport Ground Vehicle Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) Out Squitter Equipment
150/5230-4 Aircraft Fuel Storage, Handling, and Dispensing on Airports

View All Series 150 Advisory Circulars (ACs)

ARFF-Related CertAlerts
Number Title
23-01 New Military Specification for Performance-Based Standards for Fluorine-Free Aircraft Fire Fighting Foam (added 1/12/2023)
21-07 NOTAM examples for Airport Operations/Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) Frequency Monitoring During Air Traffic Contingency Operations (PDF) (updated 12/20/2021)
Note: Updated Purpose statement to clarify that NOTAM examples should be used when an air traffic facility has an unplanned and immediate closure during, not outside of, normal hours of operation.
21-05 Part 139 Extinguishing Agent Requirements (PDF) (added 10/4/2021)
21-04 Updated Guidance for Airport Emergency Plans (AEP) under 14 CFR Part 139.325(b)(7) (PDF) (added 9/22/2021)
21-01 Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) Testing at Certificated Part 139 Airports (PDF) (added 6/1/2021)
19-04 Non-Compliant Fire Service Plus Product FireAde Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) (PDF)
18-06 Clarification of Hands-On Fire Extinguisher Training (PDF)
18-05 Handling Aircraft with Smoke, Odors, and/or Fumes (PDF)
17-01 Fueling Vehicle Fire Safety Notice (PDF)
16-09 Particles in Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) Tanks on Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) Vehicles and AFFF Storage Tanks (PDF)
Note: Thank you for participating in our survey. The online survey is now closed. If you need to report particulates, please see the CertAlert for instructions and contact information.
16-08 Announcement of a Ban on All Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Smartphone Devices from Air Transportation in the United States (PDF)
16-05 Update on Mil-Spec Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) (PDF)
13-04 Additional Precautions for Approaching Aircraft with Ballistic Parachutes, Ejection Seats, and Airbags (PDF)
13-03 Coordination of High Risk Flight Test Activities at Airports (PDF)
12-05 FAA Safety Inspections of Joint Use Airport (JUA) Facilities Using Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Determining ARFF Compliance with Part 139 Requirements (PDF)
10-01 Interpretation of the Term 'Consecutive Calendar Months' as Used in Part 139, Certification of Airports (PDF)
09-08 Composites Training and Information (PDF)
04-18 Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) Training Facility Pool Size (Fixed and Mobile) (MS Word)
04-12 Dry Chemical Systems Inspection and Maintenance (MS Word)
02-04 Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) Concentrations, Restrictions, and Other User Guidelines (MS Word, 2.05 MB)
98-03 ARFF Index (PDF)
98-02 Airports with Less than Full-time ARFF Coverage (PDF)

View the Complete List of Airport CertAlerts

FAA Technical Center Reports
Number Title
DOT/FAA/TC-22/29 Evaluation of UASs for Live Monitoring to Enhance Situational Awareness During an Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Response
DOT/FAA/TC-22/23 Fluorine-Free Foam Testing
DOT/FAA/TC-19/27 Full-Scale Evaluation of Novec™ 1230
DOT/FAA/TC-19/26 Evaluation of Input-Based Foam Proportioner Testing Systems
DOT/FAA/TC-17/27 Thermal Imaging for Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Applications
DOT/FAA/TC-14/22 Impact of Alternative Fuels present in Airports on Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Response
DOT/FAA/TC-13/30 Full-Scale Evaluation of ARFF Tactics for Cargo Fires on Freighter Aircraft
DOT/FAA/TC-TN12/34 Test and Evaluation of Rear-Wheel Steering for Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Vehicles--Part 2

View More FAA Airport Safety Research Reports

All Safety Alerts for Operators (SAFOs)
Number Title
10017 Risks in Transporting Lithium Batteries in Cargo by Aircraft (PDF)
10016 Missing or Improper Seat Stops in Cessna Model (PDF)

View the Complete List of SAFOs

Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Reports
Number Title
Notice: ACRP is managed by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies and sponsored by the FAA. All links to ACRP Reports go to the ACRP website administered by the Transportation Research Board (TRB), which is not part of FAA.gov or any other Federal government website. After you leave FAA.gov, you are subject to the privacy and security policies of TRB and are no longer protected by Federal privacy laws.
Synthesis 73 ACRP Synthesis 73: Emergency Communications Planning for Airports
Synthesis 72 ACRP Synthesis 72: Tabletop and Full-Scale Emergency Exercises for General Aviation, Non-Hub, and Small Hub Airports
Synthesis 63 ACRP Synthesis 63: Overview of Airport Fueling Operations
Synthesis 60 ACRP Synthesis 60: Airport Emergency Post-Event Recovery Practices
Report 112 ACRP Report 112: Airport Terminal Incident Response Planning
Report 103 ACRP Report 103: Guidebook for Integrating NIMS for Personnel and Resources at Airports
Synthesis 50 ACRP Synthesis 50: Effective Cooperation Among Airports and Local and Regional Emergency Management Agencies for Disaster Preparedness and Response
Report 95 ACRP Report 95: Integrating Community Emergency Response Teams (A-CERTs) at Airports
Report 94 ACRP Report 94: Integrating Web-Based Emergency Management Collaboration Software into Airport Operations: A Primer
Report 91 ACRP Report 91: Infectious Disease Mitigation in Airports and on Aircraft
Synthesis 45 ACRP Synthesis 45: Model Mutual Aid Agreements by Airports
Synthesis 41 ACRP Synthesis 41: Conducting Aeronautical Special Events at Airports
Report 73 ACRP Report 73: Airport-to-Airport Mutual Aid Programs
Synthesis 32 ACRP Synthesis 32: Managing Aerial Firefighting Activities on Airports
Report 22 ACRP Report 22: Helping Airport and Air Carrier Employees Cope with Traumatic Events
Web Document 12 ACRP Web Document 12: Risk Assessment of Proposed ARFF Standards
Web Document 7 ACRP Web Document 7: How Proposed ARFF Standards Would Impact Airports
Report 12 ACRP Report 12: An Airport Guide for Regional Emergency Planning for CBRNE Events and Costs
Report 5 ACRP Report 5: Quarantine Facilities for Arriving Air Travelers: Identification of Planning Needs and Costs

View All ACRP Publications or find out more about the ACRP

Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies Resources
Number Title
Conference Proceedings 47 Research on the Transmission of Disease in Airports and on Aircraft
Conference Proceedings 41 Interagency-Aviation Industry Collaboration on Planning for Pandemic Outbreaks
National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 525 Guidelines for Transportation Emergency Training Exercises

Visit the TRB Website

Part 139 Airports and Requirements

ARFF and First Responder Training

Additional Resources

Contact Us

  • FAA Office of Airports
    Marc Tonnacliff

    ARFF Specialist
    Federal Aviation Administration
    800 Independence Ave. SW
    Airport Safety and Standards, AAS-300, Room 618
    Washington, DC 20591
    (202) 267-8732
    Fax (202) 493-1416

  • FAA Technical Center
    Keith Bagot

    ARFF Research Program Manager
    ANG-E621, Bldg 296
    Atlantic City International Airport, NJ 08405
    (609) 485-6383

  • Airport Technology Research & Development Branch

Popular Information

Last updated: Thursday, January 12, 2023