Airport Fire and Rescue Service
Exeter Airport Fire & Rescue Service – A Brief Overview
Much like the airport it serves, the Exeter Airport Fire & Rescue Service has evolved dramatically over the decades. In its earliest days, the Fire Station was a modest Second World War-era white-painted building, positioned just in front of the Terminal and Control Tower. The garage was simple, with space for only a single appliance and a smaller Land Rover response unit — a humble setup reflecting the quieter pace of early aviation.
As Exeter Airport expanded and air traffic increased, so too did the demands on its emergency services. Over time, the Fire & Rescue Service grew into a high-category response unit, equipped to handle a wide range of incidents with modern facilities and advanced appliances. Today, it stands as a vital part of the airport’s safety infrastructure, ready to respond swiftly and professionally to any emergency.
In 1991, the Western Morning newspaper reported that a new Fire Chief had been appointed at Exeter Airport. John Hogan served in the RAF fire fighting for 23 years including the Queens Flight and serving in India and with NATO.
As part of the CAA requirements Exeter Airport must have a written emergency response plan and that plan must be tested to the satisfaction of the CAA. This is carried out by a series of tabletop exercises and live exercises as required. The Police, Ambulance Service and the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service also participate along with Airlines, the Environment Agency and Voluntary Ambulance Services. Devon County Council are also involved in the plans and exercises.
In a joint venture with the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, a state-of-the- art training centre is on the north side of the airfield along with a aircraft fire simulator. The rig is designed to cover all eventualities with a high wing turboprop configuration one side, with the other side as a jet configuration, this enables the Airport Fire Service to have the training experience of both types of aircraft.
The current Airport Fire Service is CAA certified and provides a service to Category 6 with upgrades of above on request. The Fire Station has three bays and is located alongside taxiway 'charlie' and fuel pumps.
Below: A Photo of the new training rig on the north side of Exeter Airport for the Airport Fire Service on-site training.
Picture kindly supplied by the official Exeter Airport website.
Below: The good old days before the new Fire Station was built.
Photo Credit Les Bayliss.
Below: A great photo of some of the original Fire Fighters pictured outside the Fire Station before it was upgraded to the one that we see today.
Photo Credit Les Bayliss
Below: The Beechcraft 200 King Air from Kent was landing at 11:18 GMT on 4 January 2022, at Exeter Airport.
Photo Credited to Matt Veale
This page was last updated 21 March 2026.