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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Fluorine-Free Foam (F3) Transition for Aircraft Firefighting

ARFF Guidance

ARFF-Related Advisory Circulars
NumberTitle
150/5200-12First Responders’ Responsibility for Protecting Evidence at the Scene of an Aircraft Accident/Incident
150/5200-18Airport Safety Self-Inspection
150/5200-31Airport Emergency Plan
150/5210-5Painting, Marking, and Lighting of Vehicles Used on an Airport
150/5210-6Aircraft Fire Extinguishing Agents
150/5210-7Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Communications
150/5210-13Airport Water Rescue Plans and Equipment
150/5210-14Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting Equipment, Tools and Clothing
150/5210-15Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Station Building Design
150/5210-17Programs for Training of Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Personnel
150/5210-19Driver's Enhanced Vision System (DEVS)
150/5210-23

ARFF Vehicle and High Reach Extendable Turret (HRET) Operation, Training and Qualifications

150/5220-10Guide Specification for Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Vehicles
150/5220-17Design Standards for an Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Training Facility
150/5220-26Airport Ground Vehicle Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) Out Squitter Equipment
150/5230-4Aircraft Fuel Storage, Handling, and Dispensing on Airports

View All Series 150 Advisory Circulars (ACs)

ARFF-Related CertAlerts
NumberTitle
26-03Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) and Synthetic Fluorine Free Foam (F3) Testing at Certificated Part 139 airports (14 CFR 139.319, Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting: Operational Requirements) (added 8/6/2026)
24-11Required Output Based Testing After Completion of Fluorine Free Foam (F3) Transition
24-09Airport Emergency Plan, Sabotage, Hijack Incidents, and Other Unlawful Interference with Operations and Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting: Operational Requirements
24-07Fluorine Free Foam (F3) Training Video
24-05Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) Memorandum on Rinsing Aircraft Rescue Firefighting (ARFF) Vehicles Transitioning from Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) to Fluorine-Free Foam (F3)  - includes Department of Defense Memorandum: Guidance for the Change Out from Aqueous Film Forming Foam in Mobile Firefighting Systems
24-01Part 139 Requirements for Issuing a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) When the Airport Operator Has No Operative Airport Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) Equipment Available on the Airport
23-07Availability of Fluorine Free Foam (F3) on the Navy’s Qualified Products List (QPL)
23-05Release of Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5210-23A, ARFF Vehicle and High Reach Extendable Turret (HRET) Operation, Training and Qualifications, and Addendum
23-04Jet Fuel Contamination with Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF)
23-01New Military Specification for Performance-Based Standards for Fluorine-Free Aircraft Fire Fighting Foam (added 1/12/2023)
21-07NOTAM 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.
21-05Part 139 Extinguishing Agent Requirements (added 10/4/2021)
21-04Updated Guidance for Airport Emergency Plans (AEP) under 14 CFR Part 139.325(b)(7) (PDF) (added 9/22/2021)
12-05

FAA Safety Inspections of Joint Use Airport (JUA) Facilities Using Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Determining ARFF Compliance with Part 139 Requirements

98-02Airports with Less than Full-time ARFF Coverage (PDF)

View the Complete List of Airport CertAlerts

FAA Technical Center Reports
NumberTitle
DOT/FAA/TC-23/79Evaluation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Aircraft Accident and Incident Scene Documentation
DOT/FAA/TC-TN23/73Evaluation of Effects from Mixing Fluorine-Free Foam Concentrates
DOT/FAA/TC-TN23/60Fluorine-Free Foam Fire Tests Using Various Foam Delivery Configurations
DOT/FAA/TC-22/29Evaluation of UASs for Live Monitoring to Enhance Situational Awareness During an Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Response
DOT/FAA/TC-22/23Fluorine-Free Foam Testing
DOT/FAA/TC-19/27Full-Scale Evaluation of Novec™ 1230
DOT/FAA/TC-19/26Evaluation of Input-Based Foam Proportioner Testing Systems
DOT/FAA/TC-17/27Thermal Imaging for Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Applications
DOT/FAA/TC-14/22Impact of Alternative Fuels present in Airports on Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Response
DOT/FAA/TC-13/30Full-Scale Evaluation of ARFF Tactics for Cargo Fires on Freighter Aircraft
DOT/FAA/TC-TN12/34Test 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)
NumberTitle
10017Risks in Transporting Lithium Batteries in Cargo by Aircraft (PDF)
10016Missing or Improper Seat Stops in Cessna Model (PDF)

View the Complete List of SAFOs

Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Reports
NumberTitle
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 73ACRP Synthesis 73: Emergency Communications Planning for Airports
Synthesis 72ACRP Synthesis 72: Tabletop and Full-Scale Emergency Exercises for General Aviation, Non-Hub, and Small Hub Airports
Synthesis 63ACRP Synthesis 63: Overview of Airport Fueling Operations
Synthesis 60ACRP Synthesis 60: Airport Emergency Post-Event Recovery Practices
Report 112ACRP Report 112: Airport Terminal Incident Response Planning
Report 103ACRP Report 103: Guidebook for Integrating NIMS for Personnel and Resources at Airports
Synthesis 50ACRP Synthesis 50: Effective Cooperation Among Airports and Local and Regional Emergency Management Agencies for Disaster Preparedness and Response
Report 95ACRP Report 95: Integrating Community Emergency Response Teams (A-CERTs) at Airports
Report 94ACRP Report 94: Integrating Web-Based Emergency Management Collaboration Software into Airport Operations: A Primer
Report 91ACRP Report 91: Infectious Disease Mitigation in Airports and on Aircraft
Synthesis 45ACRP Synthesis 45: Model Mutual Aid Agreements by Airports
Synthesis 41ACRP Synthesis 41: Conducting Aeronautical Special Events at Airports
Report 73ACRP Report 73: Airport-to-Airport Mutual Aid Programs
Synthesis 32ACRP Synthesis 32: Managing Aerial Firefighting Activities on Airports
Report 22ACRP Report 22: Helping Airport and Air Carrier Employees Cope with Traumatic Events
Web Document 12ACRP Web Document 12: Risk Assessment of Proposed ARFF Standards
Web Document 7ACRP Web Document 7: How Proposed ARFF Standards Would Impact Airports
Report 12ACRP Report 12: An Airport Guide for Regional Emergency Planning for CBRNE Events and Costs
Report 5ACRP 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
NumberTitle
Conference Proceedings 47Research on the Transmission of Disease in Airports and on Aircraft
Conference Proceedings 41Interagency-Aviation Industry Collaboration on Planning for Pandemic Outbreaks
National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 525Guidelines 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
    Jim Price

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

  • FAA Technical Center 
    Jeremy Casey

    ARFF Research Program Manager
    ANG-E621, Bldg 296
    Atlantic City International Airport, NJ 08405

  • Airport Technology Research & Development Branch

Popular Information

Last updated: Friday, August 7, 2026