TRA

[wattoo]

From a professional point of view what are the views on Task Resource Analysis?
A smokescreen for cost savings or legitimate balance of risk against cost?
Interested to hear the views from professional aviation fire fighters.

[kurnal]

Hi Wattoo
Those of us not in the aviation sector would be very interested in hearing more about TRA

[wattoo]

Hi Kurnal

A TRA is a dynamic assessment that determines the required staffing levels based on any significant changes e.g. airport layout, passenger and traffic increase, introduction of specialist equipment or appliance changes and is a requirement under CAP 168. The TRA is reviewed annually by the senior airport fire manager and submitted to the CAA for approval although under new EASA guidelines it can be signed off by the airport MD.
In professional fire fighter terms it a cost based risk assessment that has recently been used at airports to reduce the manning strength to save the airports money in wages but compromising the safety of crews on the fire ground!

[Mr. P]

A strategic consideration may be based around a/c movement peak times. From 0600 hrs to 2300 hrs flights may be in and out at the rate of several per minute. During the 'silent hrs, there may only be a handful if any. Cost is looked at as to do you want a full crew for your top category when nothing is flying? (Guys, I know there is much more to this but, trying to keep it simples).

[TallyHo]

The TRA should now be based on a possible "worst case scenario" aircraft accident at the airport to identify the minimum number of airport RFFS personnel required to undertake identified tasks in real time before supporting external (LAFRS) are able to effectively assist.

The worst case scenario should be based on the largest aircraft using the airport and includes tasks such as extinguishing external fires, protecting evacuating occupants, creating a survivable condition inside the aircraft, rescue of trapped occupants and post fire security.

Some airports are now leaving the internal firefighting & rescue to the LAFRS and are not making an entry, i.e. concentrating only on external tasks.  This means they can now reduce manning to one firefighter per appliance and use monitors to extinguish external fires.

Now unless the LAFRS pda appliances are permanently located at the airport (and do not attend other incidents) this rational is totally flawed.  Two things amaze me about this situation; firstly the CAA are allowing airports to put these procedures in place without challenging them and secondly the LAFRS are actually signing up (literally) to this flawed rational.