NEWS |
90-98: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE , June 26, 1998
Port Authority Executive Director Robert E. Boyle said, “Safety comes first at our airports. The Aircraft Rescue/Firefighting units of the Port Authority Police are world leaders in the highly specialized art of responding to aircraft emergencies. This training center will allow them to train using the most advanced firefighting techniques under a variety of conditions.
“Near the training center is a new foam arrestor bed, an innovative concept that the Port Authority pioneered to bring aircraft to a safe stop if they overshoot a runway,” Mr. Boyle said. “Together, our arrestor beds and the new training center show how the Port Authority is constantly working to provide air travelers an extra measure of safety.”
The new training center at JFK -- one of the largest in the nation -- will be used by Port Authority Police from all three of the region’s major airports. Police of the Aircraft Rescue/Firefighting units train regularly, including vigorous, twice-yearly exercises that are required by the Federal Aviation Administration for airport certification purposes.
The new facility burns liquid propane in a computer controlled environment, and is much more sophisticated and environmentally friendly than the former training facility, which burned jet fuel. Its innovative design includes an extensive air unit that eliminates any residual propane fumes after training exercises, vapor and liquid leak-detection sensors, and a remote-controlled emergency abort system that can instantly halt a training exercise if necessary.
The Port Authority Police force is the 23rd largest law enforcement agency in the U.S., with more than 1,400 sworn personnel. They are responsible for enforcement of the laws of New York and New Jersey in protecting travelers and commerce at the agency's three airports, four interstate bridges and two tunnels, Port Authority Bus Terminal, World Trade Center, marine terminals and PATH interstate rail transit system.
All Port Authority police officers who serve at Kennedy International, Newark International or LaGuardia airports also receive first responder emergency medical training.
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