My name is Leah Kosolofski and I currently work with Transport Canada as the ARFF Specialist.
My career initially began in structural firefighting in 1993 as a volunteer firefighter in the community I lived in. This was a great experience, with lots of courses and training provided.
After some time in that position, the opportunity arose for a firefighter in an airport in my province, so I jumped at the idea.
I remember driving to work for my first shift, thinking to myself, I feel like I’ve won the lottery. There is a quote by Mark Twain that really resonates, “The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.” This encompasses exactly how I feel about firefighting, I just knew it was it.
I love my job today as much as I did 30 years ago and so I always tell folks to hire for passion. You can train skill, but you can’t train passion.
I had the opportunity to be part of the Board as the Canadian representative for the ARFF Working Group which was an absolutely great experience.
I was able to collaborate with people from around the world on issues like training and it really opened my eyes to areas of ARFF that I was not previously aware of.
Leah Kosolofski
The ARFF Working Group gives people a network to share information on firefighting techniques, operational procedures, investigative information and lessons learned from incidents.
Conferences are held twice a year- the leadership conference is held in January or February and then there is an annual symposium that everyone is welcome to attend, firefighters, chiefs and company officers.
I loved being on the Board of Directors because it gave me the chance to collaborate and foster professional relationships with people worldwide.
I always say with regulations and standards that they are written in blood, because someone has either been injured or lost their life for that regulation to be put in place. The regulations are there for a reason.
Leah Kosolofski
It can be challenging for some airports to run their operations; you always get the odd things pop up here and there that are unique challenges. It is all about adjusting to the obstacles put in place, you need to be good at adapting when working in ARFF!
Firefighter cancer is on an upward incline worldwide. When I started firefighting in the early 90s there was no talk of cancer at all and if you did hear about a cancer diagnosis it was generally coming from someone retired from the service.
Now, we are seeing young people diagnosed, firefighters in their 30s and 40s getting cancer. The big push for me is about education and awareness and preventing the risk of cancer increasing.
You need to be wearing your PPE at all times in IDLH environments. Fire department policies need to reflect PPE requirements.
The A350 incident in Japan in 2024 at the 2024 Haneda Airport was mostly carbon fibre, which is very carcinogenic and the aircraft doesn’t have to be on fire to be carcinogenic.
This means firefighters can be at risk even when responding to an aircraft incident where the plane is fragmented, such as in pieces. The risk in inhaling carbon fibre splinters mean that PPE is essential, whether you see flames or not. Firefighters need to be in their self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and in full gear.
Initial decontamination is needed on scene as well as completely washing your gear and maintaining the clear cab concept- no dirty gear in the cab.
Leah Kosolofski
Once back to the station, firefighters should conduct a more thorough decontamination, wash their gear in an industrial washing machine and then shower within the hour.
I am a cancer survivor and my diagnosis was job related, so the issue of carcinogen exposure is incredibly personal. At only 46 I was diagnosed with bladder cancer; something you would normally see in the older generation.
A big thing that comes to mind for me is mentorship. There was no such thing as mentorship when I started my career in firefighting and now there are so many mentorship groups out there, like Elevate Aviation.
Leah Kosolofski
Now, you can find a mentorship program for any role or job within aviation which is incredibly significant.
In Canada, we support a work culture that values diversity, fostering inclusion and support in our workplaces. Alongside Elevate Aviation there is also Fire Services Women which has bases in central provinces like Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba.
Girls in Aviation is another mentorship program that I am involved with. I even brought an ARFF truck to the Girls in Aviation Day, where I had the opportunity to connect with teenage girls and give them a hands-on introduction to aircraft firefighting.
They got to handle a fire hose, try on gear and experience what it’s like to be part of an ARFF emergency response team.
This was hugely rewarding because it made me wonder how many people would not consider a career in aviation because of that day,
There is a quote by Billie Jean King that says, “if you can see it, you can be it” and that really sticks with me.
Leah Kosolofski
You never now what is going to spark inside someone when you can explore a career that may have never crossed your mind before. We need more role models.
Recently, I was in Montreal for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) meetings. I serve as part of the ICAO Rescue Firefighting Working Group.
There is worldwide representation on this committee. One notable discussion we had was on the evolution of the fire service and how we need to keep on top of trends. The hot topic currently is the switch to fluorine-free foam. In Canada we are basically 60% transitioned to using fluorine-free foam, so we are making steady progress.
The other rising issues are lithium-ion batteries and alternative fuels. Not only are lithium-ion batteries carried into the cabin by passengers, but there is also now a company in Canada testing a fully electric float plane.
We are also seeing battery operated ground servicing equipment, so there are lots of levels of change in the industry.
On the training side, we are currently seeing an uptake in VR, something I was fortunate enough to experience at the ARFF Working Group Conference. I couldn’t believe how real the experience felt and I’m excited to see an increase in availability of VR training.
One thing that comes to mind is that ARFF does not just encompass responding to aircraft emergencies.
ARFF also responds to structural fire alarms, fuel spills, MVCs, medical emergencies, whether that’s on the aircraft or within the terminal buildings.
There are also inspections that need to be carried out, training courses, instructing fire extinguisher training or flight attendants, testing of the ARFF trucks and equipment. Just to name a few.
A lot of people think, it’s just aircraft but it’s not, an ARFF firefighter holds so many functions.
