Useful Training for Airport Rescues - Coursework Example

TOPIC: USEFUL TRAINING FOR AIRPORT RESCUES (Name) (Student's Number) (Course) (Institution) (Tutor's Name) 19th May, 2008 USEFUL TRAINING FOR AIRPORT RESCUE Investigators: Mathews Johnson H. Huxley Milton M. Abstract The research is aimed at establishing the useful training necessary for airport rescue. Airports are prone to many emergency accidents that require emergency response. In this research the useful skills and training of airport personnel in various departments will be investigated. The most common accidents in an airport are fires from plane crash during landing. These accidents are fatal and the rescue is aimed at saving lives. The airport fires are very dangerous as they involve very high temperatures; training in the rescue should therefore put into consideration these unique characteristics of airport fires. The research will be carried out in Chicago international Airport and the research methodology will be the secondary qualitative data in disaster management and response in an airport. Questionnaires will also be issued to the airport personnel, that is, the management, staff and workers in the airport. The questionnaires filled by the different individual will be based on the useful training in the rescue techniques and skills in an airport. (Commanders, 2003) The results that will be obtained from this research will be disseminated for the improvement of training of the airport rescue team to minimize casualties in case of an emergency and save lives of the passengers. The research will also be useful to the rescuers because the proposal will help in improving their training and facilities for rescue that will look for their safety. (Hough, 2005) It will also be provided to any other interested party for example the general public on how they can respond to emergencies in an airport and help the rescue team to save many victims if not all in an occurrence of an accident. The recommendation for this research is for all airports in the state and the world to adopt the useful rescue training for their staff in order to save the tragedy of fires and other accidents in an airport. Introduction Airports have the most dangerous accidents which over the years have claimed a number of lives. The accidents that are most common are fires that are inevitable in every accident that involve plane crash. The reason why fires are common in the airports is because of the nature of the fuel that propels the plane's engine. The combustion of these fuels is vigorous and they burn at temperatures above 4000°F. Special training in rescue of such fires is necessary if at all lives have to be saved. The destruction of these fires is intense within a flash of time and rescue response should also be very fast and effective. It is also dangerous for the rescuers themselves and hence need special training. In the training offered in the airport rescue, priority is given to the lives of people and not property as it is difficult to save a plane at this situation. Evacuation is also done within the first three minutes of the accident and beyond three minutes, no life can be saved at this extreme temperature. (Innes and Clarke, 2002) Airport rescue training comprises of various dimensions. The training is mainly designed in enabling the rescuers to evacuate the victims within minimal time. The main concept of training in fire rescue in airports is the concept of 'blanketing'. This is the process by which heat is drawn off from the plane that has caught fire by using fire extinguishing foams. The trainees are also trained on how to use the various foams and are cautioned against mixing foams from different manufacturers as they may cause disastrous results. Training also involves the study and understanding of the structure of the plane. It is important for the rescuers to be trained on the various parts of a plane in order for them to maximize rescue. For example in fire fighting of a plane it is important to deal with fire in the massager cabin since rescue is aimed at saving lives. Fires at other parts are not necessary to fight and are only dealt with after rescue of victims is over. (Commanders, 2003) The manufacturers of planes also consider the effectiveness of emergency rescue and therefore design their planes in a manner that evacuation can take minimal time. This is the reason why the training should include the study of the structure of a plane. Since rescue is dangerous in an airport, the trainees are also trained on safety measures in such a rescue. (Koutoroshis, 1999) Aims of proposed Research The aim of carrying out this research is to: To investigate the relevant training in an airport rescue operation. Research Question Which training is useful in airport rescue training? Methodology The research methods that will be used will incorporate both primary and secondary data collection. The primary research will involve use of open questionnaires to the rescue team in Chicago international airport about the training of rescue operation in an airport emergency. The secondary sources of information will be used to validate the research findings. This will include the use of books, internet, airport and travel journals with information on airport accidents and rescue techniques used. Various tools will be employed in the acquisition of data, the data collection tools include, questionnaires and secondary sources, the tools for data analysis are qualitative which focuses on the effectiveness of the findings of this research in airport rescue training. Participants The participants in this research are the staff members and the rescue team in the Chicago International Airport which has had plane accidents that resulted to fire sometimes back. The target participants were those staff and crew members that have been involved in the incidence and had reliable information on the rescue operations in the airport. Ethical Considerations All the participants in the research are volunteers and they will be assured of high level of confidentiality in the information they provide in the questionnaires. No personal details will be required in the questionnaires hence anonymity is assured. This is done to protect the participants from suffering any loss or harm in the process of research. The obtained data will only be used for the intended purpose and will be destroyed later after research is over. Timescale and Research planning ACTIVITY WEEKS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Selecting of the group to assist in the research Literature Review (Books, Journals and the Internet) Formulation of the Aims of research with the research group. Identification of the relevant participants Consultation with the management of the airport for access Preparation and resource acquisition for the research (Designing the questionnaires) Actual research (Posting of questionnaires to the participants) Data coding Data analysis Writing up Presentation of Research findings Plan dissemination Dissemination The dissemination of the report is in different levels, which are, the government, the airport management, the public and the institution of training in airport rescue. The findings and the conclusions of the research will be useful to the airports in the improvement of their training in the rescue operation in airports. The training offered can be redirected from these findings to increase the effectiveness of the rescue techniques and skills of the rescue crew. The government can also use this information in formulation of policies in the standards of training for the airport rescue staff in order to save lives in case of an airport accident. The training institutions can use the findings in this research to redefine their training to improve the rescue process of the airport accidents that are mainly fires that are severe and can cause severe damage. The research findings can be put in journals and in the internet for the public and various institutions to use in the training of rescue. The public are also a target in the rescue training because they have to cooperate with the rescuers in case of an accident so they can be rescued. Different airports can publish this report for its workers so that they can increase their safety in rescue operations and also save more victims in case of fire in the airport. The disaster management can be improved in a state through the findings of this research. Scholars can also find this information very useful in their work especially in further research on the same issue or about airport rescue. Bibliography Baker, G. (2000), Crash Risk in General Aviation, (New York, McGraw Hill) Commanders, C. (2003), Airport Operations, (New York, Prentice Hall) Hough, S. (2005), Fire Fighters Training, (London, McMillan Publishers) Koutoroshis, A. (1999), The Responsibility of the Cabin Crew in Aircraft Safety Procedures, (New York, McMillan Publishers) Innes, J. and Clarke, A. (2001), the response of Firefighters to Disaster, (London: Cambridge University Press) Pagriari, R. and Richardson, K. (2003), Airport Rescue and Firefighting Standards, (London, Mc Millan Press) Clark, W. (1996), Fire Fighting Principles and Practices, (California, California Publishers) Okray, R. (2004), Crew Resource Management for Fire Service, (Minnesota: University of Minnesota) Read More