FAA seeks out fire and rescue vehicles for top deck rescues

摘要

Researchers at the US Federal Aviation Administration are canvassing industry for makers of vehicles, equipment and technologies that firefighters could use to rescue passengers or provide an escape route from the second level of a double-deck aircraft such as the Airbus A380 or Boeing 747-8.rnIn a request for information issued by the agency's Airport Technology Research and Development group, officials note that traditional ground ladders used for such purposes "can be dangerous to climb, extremely difficult to secure to the airplane, require multiple firefighters to set up and do not always reach the desired doorway exit".rnWhile some airports do have "structural ladder trucks, sky lifts or air stairs" for such emergencies, the FAA says the vehicles "take time to deploy and were not intended" for aircraft rescue and firefighting operations.