Sugar Grove firefighters trained and ready

Earlier this year, a twin-engine Bonanza aircraft was severely damaged after it crashed at the Aurora Municipal Airport on Route 30 in Sugar Grove Township.

Amazingly, the pilot walked away. There was no explosion or fire.

If there had been, firefighters from Sugar Grove were standing by, ready and able to extinguish the flames as well as attempt a rescue from a fiery cockpit.

The Sugar Grove fire department began training all full-time and part-time personnel in the specialized techniques of fighting airport fires last year. Forty hours of classroom training was conducted in February and a few months earlier in September 2007. Both classroom sessions were followed by eight hours of hands-on training at O'Hare Airport.

"We respond to all of these airport incidents," said Deputy Chief David Adler. "Time is of paramount importance. If a fire breaks out, firefighters have only 3 to 4 minutes before it permeates the skin of the aircraft."

According to Adler, an "aircraft incident" occurs every three to four weeks at the Aurora Airport, which is within the 34-square-mile area protected by the Sugar Grove Fire District. An "incident" can mean anything from a pilot landing safely after signaling an emergency situation to the tower, to a flaming crash.

It's quite a responsibility for a fledgling department. Sugar Grove became a full-time department -- rather than paid on-call -- after Chief Marty Kunkel became the first full-time employee three years ago.

The department now has 14 full-time employees and 30 paid on-call.

The 2007 special training initiative was developed after Kunkel and Adler met with airport officials.

"The airport is getting busier every year and the planes are much bigger than puddle jumpers," Kunkel said. The airport handles up to 90,000 flights per year and has over 15,000 feet of runways.

"We evaluated our abilities and worked out an agreement," Kunkel added. "We knew we wanted everyone to be certified and we needed more equipment."

Materials for the classroom work come from the office of the Illinois fire marshal and are tailored to fit the needs of the Aurora Airport.

Both Adler and Capt. Gary Baum, who is director of training, say that being able to engage in eight hours of live response drill at the training facility at O'Hare Airport is a real bonus, especially since it is offered free.

"The Chicago Fire Department donates the training," Baum said. "It's a very nice gesture."

The training at O'Hare is intense and involves extinguishing propane-fed fires on varied locations of a hulking, black shell of an aircraft, including inside the cockpit where temperatures can reach 500 to 600 degrees.

The city of Aurora has purchased two aircraft rescue firefighting vehicles for the Sugar Grove department. Special foam is needed to extinguish fires sparked by the heavy loads of fuel carried by aircraft. Those vehicles use a mixture of foam and water. Their peculiar florescent hue, which resembles a cross between lime green and the color of pea soup, make them stand out from the regular fire trucks.

According to Kunkel and Baum, there are many nuances to fighting airport fires that make special training necessary.

"Operations are restricted," Kunkel said. "A key component is knowing how to request permission from the FAA to proceed from point A to point B. This is necessary because we could drive in front of a plane. We have to learn their specific language."

The training, which is open to other fire departments, will be offered again this spring for all new employees, whether full- or part-time.

"We're firm believers in training everyone to the same level," Baum said.

The department also conducted its own live response drill in November, and will make this an annual training event.