MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — When you think of your local fire department, you think of battling home blazes or helping someone after a fall.
But what happens if an airplane catches fire on a runway?
The Myrtle Beach International Airport Fire Department says a typical fire truck carries about 750 to 1,000 gallons of water.
Because they don’t have access to fire hydrants on the airfield for obvious reasons, their trucks can carry 3,000 gallons and release 100 gallons per minute.
“They’re designed to put out large fuel spill fires primarily so they can be operated from inside the cab using their exterior turrets with a single operator,” Patrick O’Leary, fire chief and director of emergency management for Horry County Department of Airports said.
O’Leary says the FAA requires all commercial airports to have some sort of fire protection on airport campuses.
He says on average they do about 350 calls a year, 80% being passenger medical calls in terminals. He says it’s almost like serving a small town.