They carry structural firefighting protective clothing because the FAA considers the fuselage of an airplane to be a structure."

Larry Williams is a training consultant for aircraft firefighting and he points out in the Jackson report (p. 8) that the technology of crash fire rescue firefighting has advanced "…well beyond the days of chemical foam and asbestos suits to the point where a 6,000-gallon capacity crash vehicles can be operated by one person." Just about all actual firefighting by airport firefighters is done from inside that vehicle, Williams explains. The FAA has a similar view. The advanced capability of Aqueous Film Forming Foams (AFFF) "…now enable airport firefighters to control and essentially extinguish large aviation fuel fires while still in the attacking vehicle" (Jackson, p. 9).

Meanwhile, when it comes to a situation where an aircraft has crashed at an airport and there is an emergency rescue and firefighting task...
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