NFPA 1003 ARFF study plan

Identify by name and location the major structures and systems of transport-category and general-aviation aircraft: fuselage, wings, empennage, engines, APU, fuel tanks, landing gear, flight deck, cabin, and cargo compartments.

Differentiate the hazard zones and ignition sources on an aircraft (fuel, hydraulic, oxygen, electrical, composite, lithium-ion battery, tire/wheel, and engine hazards) and state the specific risk each poses to a firefighter working the scene.

Trace the normal and emergency exits, escape slides, and crew escape routes on at least two aircraft types, and explain how each location changes rescue entry and hose/stream placement.

Compare aluminum, composite, magnesium, and titanium construction and describe how each material behaves, fails, or produces hazards under fire conditions.

Diagram the major components of an ARFF vehicle (water and foam tanks, pump, proportioner, turret, bumper turret, handlines, HRET, and dry chemical system) and state the function and operating limits of each.

Explain the operating principles and common failure modes of around-the-pump, balanced-pressure, direct-injection, and computer-controlled foam proportioning systems.

Calculate required water, foam concentrate, and application duration from tank size, proportioning percentage, and application rate across a set of practice problems.

Describe the daily inspection, field maintenance, and troubleshooting checks for pumps, proportioners, turrets, and nozzles, and list the visible symptoms of each common malfunction.

Compare AFFF, AR-AFFF, FFFP, protein and fluoroprotein foams, dry chemical, clean agents, and plain water by extinguishing mechanism, compatibility, and correct use on fuel, engine, and cabin fires.

Explain expansion ratio, application rate, foam blanket maintenance, burnback resistance, and the effects of wind, slope, and hot metal on foam performance.

Describe step by step the sweep, rotation, and bank-off application methods for a spill fire, and the 3D application concept for a pressurized running fuel fire.

Calculate application rate and total agent required for a given spill area and foam type, and justify nozzle selection and stream placement for each result.

Rank rescue, exposure protection, confinement, and extinguishment in the correct priority order for ARFF incidents and defend each decision with reference to occupant survivability.

Select offensive or defensive strategy for engine fires, wheel and brake fires, cabin fires, fuel spill fires, and 3D pressurized fuel fires, and state the trigger for changing strategy.

Assign turret, bumper turret, handline, and HRET streams within a coordinated attack, specifying placement relative to wind, terrain, and apparatus positioning.

Outline ventilation, entry, and interior attack considerations when passengers or crew are still aboard a burning aircraft.

Identify plug, non-plug, and overwing exits, cargo doors, and access panels, and describe the correct opening, forcible entry, and hazard-check sequence for each.

Describe cutting and breaching techniques for fuselage skin and structure, including tool selection and the precautions required for composite and magnesium components.

Set up a triage system and casualty collection point for an aircraft crash scene, including priority tagging, treatment areas, and transport coordination with EMS.

Explain survivor care considerations for smoke inhalation, burns, hypothermia, fuel contamination, and packaging and transfer to EMS.

Interpret runway and taxiway markings, signs, lighting, and AOA access gates, and explain runway incursion hazards and safe vehicle movement on the airfield.

Transmit standard aviation phraseology and the phonetic alphabet in simulated radio traffic with tower, dispatch, and responding units.

Describe airport emergency plan activation, alert levels, response categories, and the ARFF role inside an ICS/NIMS organization.

Draft an ICS structure for a simulated aircraft accident assigning command, operations, safety, triage, staging, and liaison functions, and explain interagency coordination and FAA/NTSB notification duties.

Select PPE and SCBA for structural, fuel, and hazmat exposures, and state the safety requirements that govern ARFF operations, rehabilitation, and accountability.

Identify hazardous cargo indicators, placards, and shipping documents, and describe initial isolation, notification, and decontamination actions at the awareness and operations level.

Recognize heat stress, fatigue, and dehydration in prolonged ARFF operations and outline a rehabilitation plan with objective trigger points.

Apply risk-benefit analysis to a simulated crash scene and document each go/no-go decision with its justification.

Complete two timed full-length practice exams covering all eight domains and catalog every missed item by domain and objective.

Run a capstone tabletop or live simulation of an aircraft crash with fire, casualties, and hazardous cargo, applying tactics, rescue, ICS, and safety decisions in sequence.

Re-teach, from memory, the three weakest objectives in each heavy domain through a written summary or teach-back to a peer.

Assemble a one-page pre-incident quick reference covering arrival positioning, foam application rates, ICS roles, and a standard radio script.