APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – It’s been in operation for well over a year, but the Airport Rescue and Firefighting Training Center (ARFF) on the south end of Appleton International Airport has now officially been dedicated.
The facility has already begun welcoming airport firefighters from across the world – and testing brand new, state-of-the-art equipment. Appleton International Airport Director Abe Weber says they’ve been working on the project for several years.
“This project really started formulating back in 2014 with the planning and the design. We had to take a business plan down to the FAA in Chicago,” Weber said. “[It was] finalized last June, but due to the pandemic we couldn’t officially open it. So today we’re here to celebrate the opening of the ARFF Training Center and welcome firefighters from around the globe into the Fox Cities for the specialized training.”
The facility allows firefighters to simulate all kinds of real-world training exercises on a model Boeing 777. Weber says it took a while to convince some lawmakers that it was a worthwhile endeavor.
“It’s a bit of a specialized training program so it did take some time to convince people like – we’re gonna build an airplane and then we’re going to simulate lighting it on fire multiple times,” Weber said. “But as soon as they recognized the safety aspect and the economic impact it can have in our community, they got right on board to help us capture that funding to be able to construct it here in northeast Wisconsin.”
Congressman Mike Gallagher was a major proponent of the project, and he finally had a chance to witness things first-hand.
“It’s really cool to see a model airplane lit on fire. You don’t see that every day!” Gallagher told WTAQ News. “It’s been a long-term project, I think from when I started in Congress 6 years ago. It’s amazing, and it’s a testament to the leadership of the airport and fox valley tech, as well as a local industry like Oshkosh [Defense].”
One major factor that drew in lawmakers like Gallagher and Senator Tammy Baldwin, other than lighting a model plane on fire, was the potential economic impact on the area.
“Firefighters from around the globe are going to arrive here – they’re going to receive the training, they’re going to book hotel rooms, they’re going to eat meals, and just generally support our local economy,” Weber said.
“It means northeast Wisconsin is going to be a state-of-the-art national hub for this type of training. That we’re gonna be training generations of first responders right here. That’s good for our economy, it’s good for safety, it’s good for the airport, it’s good for everybody here,” Gallagher added.
“Local communities had to go to great expense to have their firefighters and rescue personnel trained because it was so far away, and this is an annual requirement. So it made so much sense to locate it here…Having one right here, then having the community benefit from all those from area states and other countries come in for this training – it’s a great economic boon,” Baldwin said. “This is a common-sense win, win, win situation.”
Hands-on tests and training are required for airport firefighters on an annual basis.
You can learn more about the facility, which is generally operated by Fox Valley Technical College, right here.
