FVTC’s specialized airport firefighting center is attracting participants from around the world.
Fox Valley Technical College’s Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) Training Center continues to draw firefighters from around the world.
This summer, firefighters from Costa Rica joined a growing list of international participants coming to Appleton for specialized airport emergency response training. The firefighters traveled to the area to learn more about new ARFF vehicles purchased from Oshkosh Corp. Being just 30 minutes away, they took the opportunity to also train at FVTC.
“The firefighters participated in ARFF training led by Spanish-speaking FVTC instructors,” explains Ben Sokol, FVTC lead ARFF instructor. “That allowed the students to receive instruction directly in their native language.”
Opened in 2020 through a partnership between FVTC and Appleton International Airport, the ATW ARFF Training Center provides specialized airport firefighting training not widely available elsewhere in Wisconsin or the Midwest.
The ATW ARFF Training Center now attracts participants from across the U.S. and around the world, including firefighters from Aruba, Canada, Egypt, Jamaica and Suriname.
In a recent Business News article, reporter Rich Palzewic highlighted the visit and explored how the facility has become a destination for firefighters all over the world.
Read on >> Airport Firefighting Demand Brings Costa Rican Crews to FVTC
