Aircraft Rescue

The City of Fresno’s Fresno Air Terminal, also known as the Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FYI), is an Index C Airport with nine air passenger carriers offering Valley passengers 16 non-stop destinations in the US and Mexico.  Annually, more than 1.5 million travelers and passengers pass through FYI.  Along with commercial flights, FYI also served two of the world’s largest air cargo carriers United Parcel Service and Federal Express aircraft. The airport has a General Aviation component serviced by several Fixed Based Operators.

The Fresno Fire Department (FFD) has an established Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) Specialty Team, which works in conjunction with Airport Public Safety.  At FYI, FFD ARFF members are cross-trained in aircraft and structural firefighting, prepared to respond to fire and medical emergencies.  These specialized firefighters receive certified training for incidents unique to an airport.  This special category of firefighting involves response, hazard mitigation, evacuation, and possible rescue of passengers and crew of an aircraft involved in an airport ground emergency.  The department staffs two specially equipped ARFF apparatus staffed by FFD qualified personnel 24/7/365 to meet FAA 139 index requirements.  The ARFF station is centrally located within the airport and has been housing members since 1962.

Urban Search and Rescue Team

• The Fresno Fire Department Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Team provides special rescue operations for the City of Fresno and in Region 5 of the California Emergency Management Agency (CalEMA). The USAR team is a certified Type-1 Heavy Rescue located at fire station 11. Qualified USAR members hold the following certifications.

  Rescue Systems 1

• Rescue Systems 2

• Low Angle Rescue

• Confined Space Operations

• Trench Rescue

  In order to keep current on best practices several members of the USAR team hold instructor certifications in all of the required disciplines

Water Rescue Team

The Water Rescue Team is trained in Swiftwater, Rescue Boat, and Rescue Diver operations in order to provide search and rescue capabilities along the San Joaquin River, as well as the canal systems and ponding basins throughout the city of Fresno.

Hazardous Materials Team

The Fresno City Fire Department Hazardous Materials Response Team (HMRT) has embraced an all-hazards approach to emergency response to ensure that our community receives a robust, competent level of service to all hazardous materials events.

The HMRT is comprised of sixty personnel trained to the Hazardous Materials Technician and/or Specialist requirements. Fourteen personnel are on duty each day with a minimum of nine of those persons trained to the Technician/Specialist level. The HMRT utilizes 2 OES Type 1 Hazmat response rigs and a Mass Decontamination trailer. In the event of a hazardous materials incident, the HMRT is deployed from two strategically located fire stations. The deployment plan requires the dispatch of the closest First Responder Operation (FRO) response company in conjunction with the HMRT to hazardous materials emergencies. The Fresno City Hazardous Materials Response Teams have partnered with the State Office of Emergency Services (OES) to deploy regionally or statewide to support any jurisdiction through the State Master Mutual Aid System.

The local fire agencies, including the FFD, schedule regular cross-training of all hazardous materials response technicians/specialists to maintain familiarity and competency with each agency’s personnel, equipment, and response capabilities.