NFPA Journal - Fall 2021 - 34

PREPPED FOR
TAKEOFF
for designers, manufacturers, and
others. " This is a ground shift and evolutionary
moment in technology and
transportation-do we somehow think
the code officials will embrace the
unknown, which isn't addressed in the
codes they may be using every day? "
Phelan described the current lack of
information on vertiports in codes and
standards not as a gap, but as " a code
abyss. " And until language on vertiports
is introduced to model building
codes such as the International Building
Code and NFPA 5000®
Construction and Safety Code®
, Building
, Phelan
doesn't think the UAM industry will
be embraced by
code officials.
Even then, he
cautioned, it may
not be until jurisdictions
adopt the
latest versions of
these codes and
standards, which
often doesn't
occur until years
after they're
published.
for a ride, and Phelan understands this
is another limitation on using existing
aviation infrastructure. " These will be
publicly accessible aircraft, which will
have waiting areas, business offices for
staff and operators, possibly some type
of control station or flight operations
center, " he said. " Those types of use
and spaces would fall to the model
building codes and fire codes, " which
lack information about this industry.
Beyond the gap in code language,
there is also a gap in guidance for
how the fire service and other first
responders would answer future calls
involving VTOL aircraft and vertiports.
from manufacturers. " There are over
400 VTOL aircraft designs out there
right now, so the question when you
respond to an incident is going to be,
well, which one is it? " he said. " The
automotive industry has really stepped
up and come up with a lot of great
documentation for first responders on
electric vehicles. We're going to have
to do the exact same thing with this
industry. "
The good news, Gorin said, is that
One idea that
could make things
easier for VTOL companies, Phelan
said, is to utilize existing airports and
heliports as opposed to building new
vertiports. It's a concept that hasn't
been lost on VTOL manufacturers. A
white paper published by Volocopter
in March said as much. " Of course,
existing aviation infrastructures, such
as airports or heliports, can also be
used, " the company wrote.
But while there may be less red
tape to deal with by running UAM
operations out of existing aviation
infrastructure, current fire protection
systems, which are designed for traditional
fuel-powered aircraft, won't
work for eVTOL aircraft, so there
would still be a need for new infrastructure.
" For current heliports we
use a foam fire suppression system, "
Alexander said. " Foam doesn't really
do a whole lot of good with an electrical
fire. "
Furthermore, existing helipads don't
usually include facilities like terminals,
where passengers would line up
34 | NFPA JOURNAL * FALL 2021
ALL AROUND THE WORLD, COMPANIES
ARE TOUTING EVTOL - AIRCRAFT
DESIGNS AIMED AT REVOLUTIONIZING
THE WAY PEOPLE GET AROUND,
ESPECIALLY IN DENSE URBAN AREAS
WHERE VEHICLE TRAFFIC HAS
BECOME INCREASINGLY CONGESTED.
" As soon as technology creates something,
the emergency service world has
a whole new set of problems, and solutions
to develop, " Phelan said. " Without
question there's going to be a huge
need for emergency response training
and tactic development. "
A white paper published in 2019
by the National Air Transportation
Association also recognized this gap.
" First responders may have limited
options in terms of stand-off distances
in the initial response stages, and it
is unclear whether existing personal
protective equipment is suited for first
response to an eVTOL fire at a vertiport, "
the paper reads.
This is another area where NFPA
could help, similar to how it has developed
first responder training related
to electric vehicles. " There certainly
will be a need for safety training for
first responders if this technology
comes to fruition, " Gorin said.
Alexander said he also sees the need
for first responder guidance coming
we're still at least a few years away
from commercial VTOL aircraft flight,
and NFPA is in a position to be ready
when that day comes-at least from
a codes and
standards perspective.
" We're
very much
ahead of the
game, " he said.
That's in large
part due to the
decision by the
NFPA Standards
Council last year
to move NFPA
418 from a fiveyear
cycle to a
three-year cycle,
paving the way for the new vertiport
chapter to be completed by 2023.
" NFPA 418 has gone from being one
of NFPA's smaller documents to now
writing some of these requirements for
an emerging industry, " said Kevin Carr,
the NFPA staff liaison to NFPA 418.
" This stuff isn't just science fiction
anymore. "
The task force Alexander is leading
will meet once every two weeks
through the fall, with plans to produce
an internal draft of the vertiport chapter
by the winter. He urged anybody
with a hand in the UAM market to get
involved now by submitting a public
comment. The public comment period
ends in January 2022.
" I would encourage anybody in this
urban air mobility space to get involved, "
Alexander said. " Now is the time to go
online, go to nfpa.org/418, and provide
your input because that's going to drive
what we come up with. "
ANGELO VERZONI is associate editor at NFPA Journal.
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NFPA Journal - Fall 2021

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