Release 1.0  This is the first release of this unit of competency in the PUA Public Safety Training Package.

This unit of competency involves the skills and knowledge required to establish and manage an air base as part of an incident response and to provide support services for the resources in aerial operations missions. It includes working safely as a member of air operations team, planning for aerial operations support, establishing and managing a support unit to assist with service delivery, maintaining a safe and secure air base, supervising the layout of air base facilities, supervising the delivery of in-flight pilot services, supervising the storage and handling of dangerous goods, implementing air base accident response and maintaining records.

The unit is applicable to individuals managing an air base supporting fixed wing aircraft, rotary wing aircraft and/or remotely piloted aircraft. The air base may be established at an existing airport or helipad or may be in a remote location. Authorisation to perform this role is subject to agency policies and procedures.

The fire sector is those sections of government departments, statutory authorities or agencies that have responsibility under jurisdictional arrangements for the delivery of firefighting and fire management services.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

It is essential that the prerequisite units listed below are obtained prior to the issuance of this unit to individuals with the fire sector or the units contributing to the attainment of a fire qualification.

PUAOPE020 Lead a crew

PUAOPE013 Operate communications systems and equipment

PUAFIR017 Work safely around aircraft

Fire

Fire

ELEMENTS 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

Elements describe the essential outcomes

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1 

Work safely as air operations team member  

1.1 

Team Resource Management (TRM) principles are applied and roles and responsibilities are confirmed in the air operations unit

1.2 

Communication is established and maintained with air attack supervisors, support personnel and contractors

1.3 

Work, Health and Safety (WHS)/Occupational Health and Safety requirements are implemented

1.4 

Job hazards are identified and action is taken to eliminate, minimise or control them

2 

Plan for aerial operations support 

2.1 

Briefing is obtained on need for aerial operations support and points requiring clarifications are confirmed

2.2 

Facility and service requirements to support aerial operations missions are identified in consultation with the supervisor and are documented in the air operations plan within the Incident Action Plan (IAP), if developed

2.3 

Need for personnel and contractors to assist with delivery of air base facilities and services is determined

3 

Establish and manage a support unit to assist with service delivery 

3.1 

Personnel are engaged to deliver specialist services

3.2 

Supervisory structure for personnel assisting with delivery of air base services is established

3.3 

Personnel are briefed on tasks and their performance is monitored and they are debriefed at the conclusion of their deployment

3.4 

Personnel are monitored for application of safe work practices and personnel working in an unsafe way are stood down

4 

Maintain safe and secure air base 

4.1 

Arrangements are made to demarcate and clearly signpost designated unsafe areas

4.2 

Arrangements are made to escort personnel in designated unsafe areas who are not aircrew or part of the air operations unit

4.3 

Security is provided for aircraft and equipment, if required

4.4 

Arrangements for controlling access to the air base are established

5 

Supervise layout of air base facilities 

5.1 

Air base facilities are planned and established in accordance with organisational procedures

5.2 

Parking and facility areas are identified and established

5.3 

Storage areas for dangerous goods are established

5.4 

Fire product mixing and loading facilities are established

5.5 

Refuelling facilities and services are established

5.6 

Welfare facilities and services are established to meet the needs of air base personnel and pilots

5.7 

Dust abatement measures are implemented, as required

6 

Supervise delivery of in-flight pilot services  

6.1 

Delivery of inflight pilot services is monitored

6.2 

Pilots are briefed prior to their flights and debriefed on return

7 

Supervise storage and handling of dangerous goods 

7.1 

Dangerous goods and hazardous substances are identified from documentation or through confirmation with relevant personnel

7.2 

Storage requirements for dangerous goods and hazardous substances are identified and established

7.3 

Handling procedures for different classes and characteristics of goods are implemented

8 

Implement air base accident response  

8.1 

IAP accident response plan for aerial operations is obtained and followed

8.2 

Accident response equipment is located and checked in accordance with organisational procedures and statutory regulations

8.3 

Air base accident response procedures are communicated to support personnel and their implementation is monitored

9 

Maintain records 

9.1 

Records of storage and use of consumables are maintained in accordance with organisational procedures

9.2 

Record of activities is maintained and a handover is prepared for the incoming air base manager

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Range is restricted to essential operating conditions and any other variables essential to the work environment.

Non-essential conditions may be found in the PUA Public Safety Training Package Companion Volume Implementation Guide.

This unit replaces and is not equivalent to PUAFIR313 Operate aviation support equipment.

Release 1.0  This is the first release of this unit of competency in the PUA Public Safety Training Package.

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all the requirements of the elements and performance criteria on at least one occasion and includes

• applying Team Resource Management (TRM) principles
• communicating air base accident response procedures to support personnel and monitoring adherence
• confirming team roles and responsibilities within air operations unit
• demarcating and signposting designated unsafe areas and arranging escort of personnel who are not aircrew or part of the air operations unit
• determining and engaging personnel, contractors and specialists for delivery of air base facilities and services
• establishing and managing delivery of support services including

• access to air base
• air base facilities
• parking and facility areas
• product preparation and loading services, as required
• records for storage and use of consumables
• refuelling facilities and services
• storage areas for dangerous goods
• supervisory structure for support personnel and contractors
• welfare facilities and services

• following organisational polies and procedures
• identifying

• dangerous goods and hazardous substances from documentation or relevant personnel
• job hazards
• storage requirements for dangerous goods and hazardous substances

• implementing

• accident response plan for aerial operations
• action to eliminate, minimise or control hazards
• dust abatement measures, as required
• Work, Health and Safety (WHS)/Occupational Health and Safety requirements including handling procedures for different classes of goods

• locating and verifying accident response equipment
• managing delivery of flight services including

• aircraft marshalling and parking services
• aircraft timekeeping
• briefing pilot
• flight coordination
• flight following
• ground-to-air radio communications
• recording passenger manifests
• security service for aircraft and equipment, if required
• weather information

• maintaining communication records of activities and handing over to incoming air base manager
• supervising support personnel and contractors including

• application of safe work practices
• appropriate tasking
• briefing and debriefing
• monitoring performance
• task completions.

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all the requirements of the elements and performance criteria and includes knowledge of

• aircraft marshalling and refuelling requirements
• air base establishment including

• air base support personnel
• communications
• layout
• logistics planning
• selecting a site

• aerial fire suppression products, systems and equipment including

• aircraft product loading procedures
• managing stores
• product mixing

• air operations planning
• airspace classifications
• consumables planning
• coordination of aircraft
• crew marshalling
• dangerous goods and hazardous substances including fuel, incendiaries and fire retardants
• flight following
• flight notification
• flight planning
• management of briefings and debriefings
• night operations, if undertaken
• organisational communications systems
• organisational policies and procedures including

• accident, incident and emergency responses and procedures
• conducting hazardous aircraft support operations including aircraft marshalling, refuelling, aerial product preparation and loading and incendiary operations
• management of aircraft and air operations missions

• passenger safety briefing protocols to be conducted prior to flights
• personnel who provide specialist services for dangerous goods handling, aircraft marshalling, aircraft refuelling, fire suppressant mixing and loading, external load lifting and ground-to-air radio communications
• requirements for reporting and record keeping
• risk management principles
• search and rescue processes
• Team Resource Management (TRM) principles
• Work, Health and Safety (WHS)/Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) requirements.

Assessors must hold credentials specified within the Standards for Registered Training Organisations current at the time of assessment.

Assessment must satisfy the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence and all regulatory requirements included within the Standards for Registered Training Organisations current at the time of assessment.

Assessment must occur in operational situations or in simulated operational training situations that reflect workplace conditions.

Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.

Resources for assessment must include access to

• a range of exercises, case studies and/or simulations
• appropriate materials, equipment, tools and personal protective clothing and equipment currently used in industry including

• an air base which may be an aerodrome or a remote air base
• aircraft
• appropriately skilled support personnel
• refuelling facilities

• applicable documentation including organisational procedures, standards, equipment specifications, regulations, codes of practice and operational manuals.