Open for signatureElectronice-7655 · Parliament 45

Align Airport Rescue and Firefighting

Sign on the House of Commons website

Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to amend Part 303 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations to recognize passenger rescue, set minimum ARFF staffing, require ICAO three‑minute runway response times, and publicly report any differences.

Why we would sign this petition

  • Would require passenger rescue as an explicit ARFF function and mandate ICAO three‑minute response times, strengthening on‑runway emergency response and passenger protection.
  • Would establish minimum ARFF staffing so airports have sufficient trained personnel to conduct passenger rescues safely.
  • Would require public reporting of regulatory differences, increasing transparency and enabling oversight and harmonization with international obligations.

Why we wouldn’t sign this petition

  • Could impose significant staffing and equipment costs on airports, especially smaller facilities, creating financial burdens or service disruptions.
  • Rigid national minimums and strict response times may be impractical at remote, constrained, or low‑traffic airports with different operational realities.
  • A uniform mandate may be less effective than risk‑based standards, phased implementation, or targeted investments that consider local needs.

The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

Petition to the Government of Canada The safety of airline passengers depends on timely and effective airport rescue and firefighting services in the event of an aircraft emergency; The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requires airport rescue and firefighting services to perform passenger rescue as a core operational function and to reach all points of operational runways within three minutes; Canada's Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Regulations under Part 303 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations do not fully align with internationally recognized ICAO standards for airport rescue and firefighting; Canada's current regulations do not establish minimum staffing requirements needed to conduct passenger rescue operations during an aircraft emergency; and The House of Commons adopted Motion M-96 in December 2023, recognizing that Canada's Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Regulations should be aligned with ICAO standards to improve passenger safety. We, the undersigned, Citizens and Residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to amend Part 303 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations to align Canada's Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Regulations with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization by: 1. Recognizing passenger rescue as a required function of airport firefighting services; 2. Establishing minimum staffing requirements necessary to safely conduct passenger rescue operations; 3. Requiring airport firefighting services to meet internationally recognized response time standards for all operational runway areas; and 4. Publicly reporting any differences between Canadian airport firefighting regulations and ICAO standards, consistent with Canada's international obligations.

Government response

No government response is available yet.