Guided tours of the professional fire brigade give visitors the chance to find out all about the emergency service team at Zurich Airport. Accompanied by a professional firefighter, visitors can discover more about tackling fires in buildings and aircraft on a tour lasting just under three hours.
The meeting point for the tour is Arrival 2. A guide will meet the group there and accompany them directly to the security checks. Once through the checks, the visitors will board a bus which will take them to the buildings of the airport’s emergency services. The group will be welcomed there by a firefighter who will then act as a guide for the next part of the tour.
The tour begins with a demonstration of a fire engine. The visitors will experience at first hand how it can spray water while travelling at full speed. The vehicle has special extinguishing equipment which can be used to put out major fires on the airport premises within just a few seconds. After the display, the guide will accompany the group into the building. The airport's fire and rescue service is staffed 24 hours a day. This is why there are relaxation and staff rooms on the upper floor, which the group can also take a look at.
The tour continues to the professional fire brigade sports hall where the employees train for regular fitness tests. Next, the firefighter will show the visitors the bays where the various vehicles are parked. The firefighters who lead the tours are highly experienced. They know every last detail and can answer questions expertly. The visitors are given information on the organisation, training and special aspects of working at the airport. All the vehicles in the bays are also presented in detail. The group can find out, for example, which devices the incident command vehicle is equipped with. It carries a large number of maps of the airport, for instance, including a map of all the lifts in case anyone becomes trapped in one and needs rescuing. The group can then have a closer look at a fire engine. The guide will explain what the firefighters have to look out for in particular when using the vehicle, with whom they maintain radio contact, what the various extinguishing devices are used for and much more.
During the tour of just under three hours, guests will learn about the emergency services vehicles at Zurich Airport. For example, during emergencies at the airport, special vehicles are available to rescue passengers from aircraft and a special crane is used to tow away planes. In another building, the group can look at the emergency vehicles belonging to the paramedics. A paramedic will present the inside features of the vehicles, explain how they work and what they are used for.
As a highlight, all brave participants can slide down the fireman's pole. After that, the visitors will return to Observation Deck B by bus. The tour ends there and the group will have the chance to spend some time on the observation deck if they wish.
Emergency services tour
From the meeting point at Arrival 2, the tour group will visit the following:
- Relaxation rooms and sports hall of the professional fire brigade
- Tour of the vehicles: incident command unit, fire engine, rescue train, crane, aerial ladder platform, water carrier and high-volume pump
- Tour of the paramedic vehicles
