Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport Little Rock

Airport Business

Emergency Information Plan

To assist media in responding to an airport emergency, Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport has developed an Emergency Information Plan for media access.  This plan is designed to provide valuable information on airport procedures and appropriate contacts.

All airport media inquiries should be directed to:

Shane Carter
Director-Public Affairs & Governmental Relations
(501) 900-7800 email

What happens immediately after an emergency incident?

Media outlets will be notified throughout a "Red Ball Release". The release will be sent via e-mail and will contain as much information as possible at the initial stages of the emergency.  Because of the intense activity required by all departments of the airport to respond to an emergency, it will not be possible to answer questions during the initial phase of the incident.

Will there be a media center?

A clearly marked media center will be established immediately in the second floor administration offices of the airport, or at a designated site named in the initial alert. Should the terminal be evacuated, media will also be notified of any alternate gathering area.

The media center will be the site of all formal briefings on the event. All media representatives will be issued an appropriate temporary ID badge at the media center.

The media center will be equipped to the extent possible to facilitate coverage of the story.

Where should media park?

Media may park in the east or west short-term. Depending on the event, media will be accommodated at other locations should these areas not be accessible. Complimentary parking is available to media during an emergency event.          

How will information be disseminated?

All briefings will be held in the media center. The first briefing will be scheduled as soon as possible. It is anticipated that briefings will be held every 30 minutes or so during the early stages of the emergency and will become less frequent as incident closure progresses. Beyond the basic information, additional information whether will be provided by the company involved, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) or Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or Little Rock Police. 

It is strongly recommended that media outlets plan to have someone stationed in the briefing center at all times at least during the initial phase of the emergency since some briefings have to be done off schedule.

The briefing schedule will be set to accommodate news cycles as possible.

What media identification will be necessary?

The Airport requires that all working media display valid credentials while working on airport property. 

What are the different emergency classifications?


Alert 1 - (Local Standby)

An aircraft is known or suspected to have an operational defect. This defect should not normally cause serious difficulty in achieving a safe landing. 

Alert 2 - (Full Emergency)

An aircraft is known or suspected to have an operational defect that affects normal flight operations to the extent that there is danger of an accident.

Alert 3 - (Aircraft Accident)

This alert means an aircraft accident has occurred on or in the vicinity of the airport.

What types of emergency equipment does our airport have?  

The Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) equipment housed at Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport includes two Rozenbauers and an E-1. The trucks are designated Redball 1 through 3 and are capable of using water and chemicals to control fires resulting from aircraft accidents. The firefighters who staff them are specially trained and equipped to handle fires and other contingencies resulting from aircraft accidents.

In case of any Alert 2 or Alert 3, the emergency equipment at the airport, plus three trucks from outlying stations of the Little Rock Fire Department along with a MEMS ambulance are automatically dispatched.

Which agencies are involved when an emergency situation occurs and what are their areas of responsibility?

Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport Operations Department

The Operations Department has operational control and security of the Airport during aircraft emergency situations.

Little Rock Police Department

Little Rock Fire Department / ARFF Station (Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting)

The ARFF crews are responsible for firefighting and emergency medical rescue operations.

National Transportation Safety Board

The NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are the federal agencies that investigate aircraft accidents.

Federal Aviation Administration

The FAA operates the control tower and controls the air traffic during an emergency to permit rescue equipment to proceed to the accident site. 

FAA public affairs activities for Arkansas are directed from the FAA Southwest Region Office in Fort Worth, Texas.

The primary contact for FAA public affairs is Lynn Lynn (817) 222-4455. The number for the communications center, which may be reached 24 hours a day is (817) 222-5006.

Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) exists to protect the nation's transportation systems.  The primary contact for TSA Media Relations is Sari Koshetz (305) 432-0076.  To reach the after hours emergency pager, call (877) 637-7327.

How do we contact an airline?   


American

817-931-1348

Delta Airlines

404-714-8520

Frontier Airlines

720-374-4560

Southwest Airlines

214-792-4565

United Airlines

847-700-5800

Allegiant Air 

702-830-8245