Firefighters: Answer me this

Hey Ryan, 20+ year FF. The ARFF units will start where you might make impact and follow down the runway. You may not have seen fire, but the pilots had some kind of warning in the cockpit that indicated a possible issue. No messing around with crash fire/rescue.

EMT, not FF here but ran with FFs. It's a mixed bag. Fighting fires is fun. Cleaning the gear is not.

Protocol Every time

It's like any other job. If it's been a few days since anything big has happened you want to be put in the game. If it's been busy and it's a false alarm, you're happy all the crap work like mop-up and paperwork aren't headed your way and you go back to your Xbox.

Question 1: pre staging for a potential issue, but following a moving target where presumably a fire issue was reported. It's easier to stop fire apparatus quickly than attempt to catch up when it hits the fan. Question 2: Yes.

These pics 🔥🔥

trucks roll in case of issues, as instructed by tower. they spot the plane, make sure all is safe, and that the runway has no debris. that's their 'yob' if you will. If there was a fire, you'd be covered in foam, most likely, as you exited the aircraft.

contingency: there wasn't a fire... yet. a fire could have broken out once the plane stopped or crashed - you'd want a firetruck there ASAP also: firemen don't just fight fires, they also help with evacuation, cutting open exits, etc. firemen are also EMTs.

NFPA 440 outlines the standards for aircraft rescue firefighting, and it's pretty much the accepted protocol, esp if you're looking for accreditation and insurance underwriting. And yeah, there's a slight disappointment when there's nothing, but also relief that no one is hurt.

They arent just staged at the beginning of the runway. you can see them at the beginning, mid point and some at the end. It's standard procedure for most inflight emergencies. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. they trail the plane as it passes their position.

They chase you on the runway to make sure nothing goes wrong when the plane stops, and sometimes we get disappointed if there is no fire, but not when a potential mass casualty event is averted. Those suck.