Latest news with #FAA-mandated
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Emails show dueling plans for Harlingen airport firefighting services
May 27—HARLINGEN — For months, city and airport officials have been debating two proposals known as Plan A and Plan B. In the last few weeks, Valley International Airport officials' Plan A has come to the forefront, a proposal to hire Pro-Tec Fire Services, an Appleton, Wisconsin, company that's become North America's biggest provider of aircraft rescue and firefighting services. At City Hall, airport officials' plan to terminate the city's $1.2 million agreement providing the Harlingen Fire Department's airport firefighting services is drawing opposition. In response to the plan, the Harlingen Professional Firefighters' Association is warning it would file a lawsuit against the city if the airport's board of directors hires Pro-Tec, arguing the move could lead to a violation of Civil Service law protecting firefighters' jobs. Meanwhile, Marv Esterly, the airport's aviation director, is standing behind the proposal to hire Pro-Tec. While Pro-Tec is offering its services for $973,000 as part of a proposed five-year contract, the city's planning to boost the fire department's fees by 7% next year and then by 8% in 2027. For the airport operating on a break-even budget, Pro-Tec, which serves more than 20 U.S. airports, would help save about $1.9 million during the next five years. Esterly has also expressed concern over the fire department's federal training violations. From 2017 to 2024, the FAA cited the department for three training violations while last year Esterly self-reported "misleading" entries raising concerns of the possibility of records falsifications in training logs stemming from two classes last June and July. THE PLANS An email thread helps outline officials' discussions over the proposal they call Plan A. In response to the Valley Morning Star's request filed under the Texas Public Information Act, Esterly released emails sent from April 29, 2024 to April 16. In a Feb. 26 email to Mayor Norma Sepulveda, Esterly addressed concerns leading him to propose hiring Pro-Tec. "The rising cost of ARFF services is placing significant strain on the airport's budget," he wrote. "The current ARFF arrangement is unsustainable, placing significant financial stain on the airport." Then Esterly pointed to what he described as "safety and regulatory compliance." "FAA-mandated training standards must be met to maintain (the airport's) Part 139 certification," he wrote to Sepulveda, referring to the FAA's airport operations certification. "Given budgetary constraints and critical safety and compliance concerns, Plan A remains the most prudent and responsible path forward to ensure regulatory compliance and public safety." Meanwhile, Plan B would consist of an overhaul of the fire department's ARFF program. Under Plan B, the department would "implement FAA-recommended best management practices to enhance compliance and transparency," Esterly wrote to Sepulveda, adding the proposal would "address systemic failures in training oversight and establish strict compliance measures to prevent future violations." Esterly then referred to a memorandum of understanding specifying firefighters' qualifications and requirements. While Plan B would call for a "cost-sharing strategy" to "develop a financially sustainable ARFF plan that aligns with federal regulations while balancing fiscal responsibility," the proposal would also "evaluate the current MOU to determine necessary modifications, replacement or possible termination," he wrote. In an April 29, 2024, email to City Manager Gabriel Gonzalez, Esterly expressed concern over what he described as rising costs stemming from fire department ARFF staffing leading to overtime pay. "It has come to our attention that there is a recurring practice of calling in ARFF alternatives from different shifts, rather than utilizing those assigned to the current shift," he wrote. "This has resulted in increased overtime costs that area subsequently billed to the airport." Esterly argued overtime billing violates the parties' agreement. "According to our current memorandum of understanding, the airport board should not have to bear the financial responsibility for overtime expenses that arise due to the city's failure to maintain adequate staffing levels, including the provision of designated alternatives for each shift," he wrote to Gonzalez. "Maintaining compliance with our MOU is crucial to ensure the cost-effectiveness and regulatory adherence of the ARFF services provided." In a Feb. 25 email, Sepulveda pointed to "legal challenges surrounding privatization," adding Gonzalez was working to address overtime costs. Meanwhile, City Attorney Mark Sossi argued the Texas Government Code's Civil Service stance prohibited the city from hiring a contractor such a Pro-Tec. "After review of the legal issues at hand, we believe that Chapter 143 of the Texas Local Government Code will be a legal bar to privatization of the firefighters positions," he wrote in a Dec. 2, 2024, email to Gene McCullough, the airport board's attorney. "This will also confirm that the city, as the airport sponsor, has not given its consent to the privatization of AARF functions at the Valley International Airport." Earlier this month, Evan Mann, president of the Harlingen Professional Firefighters Association, warned city commissioners the union would file a lawsuit against the city if they didn't stop the airport board from hiring a contractor. In an interview, Mann said the board's hiring of a contractor would violate Civil Service law protecting firefighters who could lose their jobs. Mann also claimed airport officials were overstating FAA reports citing "isolated" firefighter training violations as part of a plan to "discredit" the fire department in order to lead the airport board to terminate the city's $1.2 million agreement providing aircraft rescue and firefighting services. Esterly denied the claims. In February, the FAA closed a 2024 investigation stemming from Esterly's move to report "discrepancies" in two firefighter training classes held last June and July. "The FAA determined training and misleading entries to be directly isolated to the identified sessions and not systemic to the entire ARFF training program," Denson E. Stasher, the agency's safety and standards manager, wrote to Esterly in a Feb. 19 report closing the investigation. "In closing this case, we have considered all available facts and have concluded the matter does not warrant legal enforcement." In its investigation report, the FAA found the fire department's ARFF program in "full compliance," Erik Ramirez, the union's vice president, said in an interview. Meanwhile, Mann said airport officials were overlooking the fire department's five years of "perfect scores" on its annual FAA inspections. Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pitt-Greenville Airport has emergency disaster drill
GREENVILLE, NC (WNCT) — Pitt-Greenville Airport had an emergency disaster drill Saturday, Apr. 12, 2025. This is an FAA-mandated exercise the airport is required to conduct every three years. The drill brings together various emergency responders from the Greenville area, including Greenville Fire/Rescue, the Greenville Police Department, Pitt County Emergency Management, the Public Information Office, the Sheriff's Office, ECU Health, as well as, other fire departments and Emergency Medical Services. Together, they simulate a deadly airplane crash. During the drill, a bus was used to represent an airplane and volunteers acted as victims so that emergency response teams could practice their reaction procedures. 'This is needed for our public safety community because we have air traffic and aviation traffic all over our county, especially here at the airport, and we need to be prepared to respond to aircraft emergencies,' Deputy Director EMS Coordinator for Pitt County Emergency Management Jim McArthur said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
New report shows delays, cancelations up at Reagan National Airport
WASHINGTON - The number of delays and cancelations are up at Reagan National Airport and a new report says fewer people are flying in and out of DCA in the months following the deadly mid-air collision that killed 67 people. Safety when flying is top of mind for many Americans right now with accidents and incidents dominating the news of late. The Metropolitan Washington Aiprorts Authority Board met on Wednesday to discuss a number of issues and one of its latest reports highlighted some concerning new data coming out of Reagan National Airport. The latest numbers on air travel at Reagan National show the number of passengers year-to-year was down considerably last month — by 12 percent. They couldn't give a reason why. On-time performance by the airlines was also down, dropping drastically from 88 percent to 58 percent. Flight delays went up from 10 percent to 34 percent from February last year compared to last month. One reason for those numbers, according to MWAA, is the FAA-mandated ground stoppages whenever helicopters are flying in the area. That is still happening despite new restrictions since that fatal air collision over the Potomac River in late January. Some in-flight and at-the-gate incidents have also left some travelers feeling uncomfortable with boarding flights. RELATED: Maryland man punches United Airlines gate agent in the face at Dulles International Airport At Reagan National, United Airlines flight attendants staged a demonstration, calling for a new contract. FOX 5 asked them about how those incidents and accidents have impacted safety. "Our flight attendants are having to endure people that are very frustrated with the process. Whether it be going through security, their tickets being messed up and we're the end result where they take their frustrations out so it has become more difficult," United Airlines flight attendant Lois Breece said. One pilot at the demonstration emphasized that despite some of the recent incidents, air travel is still secure. "It is still safe to fly. Obviously, we have programs that we've had forever that will predict incidents and accidents and we've done a pretty good job of utilizing those programs to keep the skies safe," United Airlines pilot Capt. Wendy Morse said. "It was certainly a really tragic incident, the accident that happened here, and certainly the same thing in Toronto but we have wonderful processes in place to make sure it never happens again." While they're still boarding their flights, some travelers told FOX 5 they've been feeling more concerned as of late. "I will have to say I was a little nervous coming into Ronald Reagan given the more recent accident but otherwise it didn't stop me. So, overall feeling ok," one passenger said. But some say at the end of the day, it comes down to passengers and flight crews doing their best to be kind and courteous to others while flying the skies. "I fly a lot, therefore, we always have issues," a frequent traveler said. "I think it's about the people."
