In June 1998, the Port Authority Police Department opened a state-of-the-art Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Fuel Spill Trainer Facility at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The facility, one of the largest of its kind in the nation, is used to train Port Authority Police officers in aircraft rescue and firefighting techniques. It allows officers to train for emergency situations in a controlled environment.

The centerpiece of the training center is a 125-foot diameter pit that uses clean-burning propane to simulate a fire. It also features a 75-foot-long aircraft mockup with a broken wing section. Computer controls allow for the creation of firefighting scenarios that vary in size, difficulty and intensity.

Each year, more than 600 Port Authority officers are cross-trained as aircraft rescue firefighters for the region's three major airports - John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International, and LaGuardia airports.

Port Authority Police assigned to aircraft rescue and firefighting undergo rigorous training twice a year to achieve and maintain Federal Aviation Administration certification.