Canada's airport fire rules risking passengers' lives, firefighters warn

Major Canadian airports lack sufficient resources on site to rescue passengers from inside aircraft in the event of a fire, according to firefighters who are calling on the government to upgrade domestic regulations to match international safety standards.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which sets global standards for aviation safety and is headquartered in Montreal, mandates that in an emergency, airport firefighters should rescue aircraft occupants «as quickly as possible.»

But Transport Canada tasks airport firefighting crews «with the primary responsibility of providing a fire free egress route for the evacuation passengers and crew,» noting that this standard is not intended to limit first responders from providing additional services.

In practice, staffing levels mean that airport firefighters need to wait for reinforcements from municipal firefighters to rescue aircraft occupants, according to Philippe Gagnon, president of the Montreal Airport Firefighters Association.

«We would not be able to carry out a rescue within the timeframe required by international organizations,» he said. «We would be able to put out the flames, but then we would have to wait before going inside the plane.»

That wait could cost lives, he fears. «The risk of death is there.»

Passenger safety 'needlessly' put at risk

The government is exploring the issue but has declined to commit to a particular outcome.

In December the House of Commons passed a private member's motion introduced by Liberal MP Ken Hardie calling on the government to upgrade Canadian aviation regulations, warning that «significant regulatory shortfalls» were «needlessly putting the safety of the flying public at risk.»

Bringing Canadian regulations up to