FROM MY PERSPECTIVE
In September, Hurricane Helene and Milton struck Eastern Tennessee, Western North Carolina, and Southwest Virginia. As a result of these storms, there were massive mudslides that carried houses and other structures downstream. In some cases, small towns were destroyed. Major infrastructures in and around these communities including roads, bridges, and even railroad tracks were severely damaged. As news outlets reported, the damage was devastating. In effect, they were cut off from the outside world. There were many instances of swift water rescues of people from vehicles and homes. These are not areas of our country that we normally associate with being affected by hurricanes. You may be wondering how all of this connects to the ARFF community. One of the hardest hit areas by Hurricanes Helene and Milton was Asheville North Carolina. Asheville’s airport is approximately 15 miles from the downtown area. Many of the roads and bridges in and around Asheville became impassable. A lot of the needed resources were brought by air. This catastrophic event reminded me of the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster. At an ARFF Working Group conference Fire Chief Richard Blanchard of New Orleans Louis Armstrong Airport, , gave a presentation that graphically illustrated the devastating effect of the hurricane on the city of New Orleans and the airport. The airport was inundated and overrun with people utilizing the airport as a shelter. This nightmare scenario was exacerbated when false rumors spread within the New Orleans Superdome, also being used as a shelter, that the airport, approximately 15 miles away, had power, food, and water. This fake news led to thousands of people walking through the flooded streets to reach the airport. With the main structure of the airport filling up with walk- in evacuees, there were numerous medical emergencies. Additionally, airport fire department personnel were receiving evacuees from the city via helicopters at the airport who were also medical emergencies. As a result of a total loss of communication to the outside world, ARFF personnel had absolutely no idea of the patients’ Never say Never by Charles M. Lavene
condition until the chopper doors opened. Imagine working in a hospital emergency room and ambulances start to arrive, and you have no idea what type of patient you have, or know their condition, until the backdoors of the ambulance open. As an ARFF fire chief of an eastern seaboard airport at the time, this presentation illustrated the need for us to completely re-think how we address such a disaster situation. No matter if you are in the foothills of Appalachian Mountains and have a small airport like Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) or in the bayous of Louisiana with a much bigger airport like New Orleans, the impact of a devastating weather event like hurricanes may be catastrophic. Chief Blanchard came to Norfolk International Airport (ORF) to give his presentation to our Airport Committee on Emergency Preparedness. The impact this presentation had on the emergency coordinators from area hospitals, airlines, and airport administration can’t be overstated. One area of improvement that was identified as a result of the presentation was the main airport and the airport fire station generators. They were upgraded to provide power for one week as opposed to 2-3 days. So how can an airport and/or airport fire department prepare for such a devastating event? Smaller airports and/or ARFF departments may not have the infrastructure, finances, and resources needed to overcome the loss of communications and secure their airport from an unknown number of evacuees. At the risk of sounding mean and a little cold-hearted, we need to learn from the experiences other airports and ARFF departments have faced. Listen, learn, take notes, and ask questions. Another resource that is just a phone call or email away is your FAA Inspector. Yes, that same inspector that meticulously combs through your training records and makes you sweat once every twelve months. They may provide you with important information and guidance they have obtained from other airports. Remember, they are here to help! You also need to review your airport emergency plan. In August 2011, parts of Virginia experienced a 5.8-magnitude earthquake. The tremors were felt along the East Coast of Virginia and into Washington, DC. The previous earthquake of that magnitude in Virginia was in 1897! Truth be told, as the Fire Chief at Norfolk International Airport, I did not spend much time before that event thinking about what our response would be to an earthquake. Lesson learned! Never say never!
ARFF NEWS | MAY- JUNE 2025 9
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