Gary Barthram, Area Manager for Aviation Emergency Services at Serco Middle East, discusses regional safety challenges and the evolving role of partnerships in emergency response
Could you tell us about your background and career in airport firefighting?
I have been working in airport fire services for 35 years, starting at London City Airport, before joining the British Airports Authority at Stansted.
I transferred to Heathrow Airport in 1994, working as leading firefighter, progressing through various roles in operational watch management before becoming chief fire officer.
Over the course of the past decade, I was able to oversee the UK’s largest airport fire service at an airport serving approximately 82 million passengers a year with 1,400 air traffic movements a day.
This was an incredible role, and I enjoyed every minute of this.
I was always interested in making a move overseas and experiencing a new culture.
Over the years, I’d always enjoyed coming to the Middle East, experiencing the people, the culture and of course, the weather.
When I was approached by Serco to join them and to help grow the airport fire sector, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse.
Serco’s reputation across the industry for providing excellent service was a significant factor in my decision to join.
Serco has strong capabilities in this sector – bringing best practice, global standards and new techniques to the Middle East.
I was excited about the diversity of the role, working with different clients across the Middle East in my area of expertise and driving the development of its fire and rescue service solutions.
This is enabling me to develop policies, conduct audits, and collaborate with regional clients to enhance airport emergency services.
On a side note, I am also an active member of the rescue and firefighting service working groups for ICAO, NFPA and ACI World as part of their APEX team.
Which aspects of this role stand out as especially unique or important?
One aspect that stood out to me for this role is the fact that the aviation emergency services sector is expanding, with new projects and locations where I can use my experience to help the company grow in this area.
The Middle East’s big focus and ambitions on becoming a leader in the aviation sector was also a motivating factor in my decision to join Serco – there is so much potential here to make a difference and I’m looking forward to putting my experience to good use in this market.
I think this is one of the things that Serco does very well – leveraging its international experience and applying this through a very local lens.
There are nuances and certain ways of working in the region, and so it’s been a fantastic learning experience so far.
I’ve been proud to bring the value of my experience working in emergency services to the Middle East – and helping to impact better futures for citizens and residents alike by ensuring organisations have robust safe and effective services in place.
How would you describe Serco’s overall approach to airport emergency services?
Serco’s approach to airport emergency services is both professional and ambitious, underpinning its commitment to improving citizen and resident safety.
Working with a team of professionals, Serco, as a business, values its role in delivering top-tier emergency services and resilience training, operational emergency services, as well as both resilience and crisis management advisory services.
My colleagues here hold the same values that I’m used to – coming from Europe’s largest airport and a world leader in Heathrow Airport.
The region is on a clear journey, and I’m proud that I am playing a part via Serco in helping them along this path, and my experience can only add to the values already in place.
What key safety challenges do Middle Eastern airports face compared to your experiences in the UK?
Whether it’s the Middle East, Europe or Asia, when I speak to my colleagues from all corners of the world, everyone is facing similar challenges.
There is a lot for professionals working in airport emergency services to consider; from running important safety departments whilst ensuring crews are properly trained with facilities required, to ensuring we are operating within budgetary parameters, to also keeping training interesting and innovative so that we keep people motivated and engaged.
There is also an increasing focus on the need to operate sustainably.
Environmental impacts and the need for us to operate in a way that minimises the effects on our planet, does create challenges for us when it comes to training and the equipment we use.
It’s encouraging us to think of innovative solutions to ensure that we are operating in the right way, ensuring that sustainability is high on our agenda, whilst having firefighter safety at the forefront of their minds.
How do climate, infrastructure, or airport layouts impact emergency response planning?
From the airports I’ve visited so far, many are much larger in geographical size than those in the UK, which creates challenges on meeting regulated response times.
As such, there is a need for more fire capabilities within the airport boundary that you might not need in the UK.
The climate is another obvious factor here in the region, with temperatures much higher than the UK.
Therefore training, firefighter fatigue and safety all need to be factored into the running of an airport fire service.
You’ve worked with international safety bodies like ICAO and NFPA—has this experience shaped your approach?
As an active member of rescue and firefighting service working groups for ICAO, NFPA and ACI World as part of their APEX team, it has allowed me to see and experience the standards and practices from around the world.
This has helped shape my approach to setting best practices for emergency services in the Middle East, which helps when coming to a new region as I’m able to take the learnings and insights from international safety bodies and apply this through the lens of the region.
Are you working with local airports to improve safety and emergency preparedness?
I’ve started forging relationships with airports and regulators across the GCC, and these will grow and allow for great information sharing on best practices.
I’m proud of the work that Serco has developed in aviation in the region.
There is also a strong ‘people first’ culture at Serco, and we work very closely with airports across the region to train and develop local nationalised workforces, so that we upskill and empower local talent, contributing to the region’s broader visions.
What new equipment trends are you adopting to address regional airport needs?
The main two trends that we are looking at is the increase in the use of electric vehicles (EV’s) and the associated risks and hazards of lithium batteries involved in fires.
We are working closely on how to operationally deal with those incidents, whilst the industry is catching up on the new equipment that manufacturers are producing.
There is still a considerable amount of work that the international fire community needs to do in this area, but it’s something we are actively monitoring and looking at very closely.
The second is raising awareness of the increase in firefighter related cancers.
Great work has been done already to raise awareness of this; this now needs to be spread across the region, putting in best practices and reducing the risks to firefighters.
How do you balance extensive training with the demands of daily operations?
It’s a challenge for everyone around the world, not just in this region.
The need for realistic training against the backdrop of operations is always tough.
To mitigate this, good planning is key whilst making training interesting and varied against organisation’s own competence schemes.
This will enable firefighters to ensure they meet the requirements of their respective regulators.
What are your aspirations for Serco’s role in contributing to a safer, more resilient airport environment across the Middle East?
Our aspiration and determination centres on helping to grow Serco’s portfolio, whilst providing training opportunities for the Middle East’s airports so that we are building localised talented workforces that benefit from our international experience that is adapted for this region.
We provide the most up-to-date facilities and innovations to drive safety for all of our firefighters, and this includes implementing cutting-edge technology, such as virtual reality simulations to help deliver world-class training.
This is a fantastic profession, and the safety of all our crews is number one for us here at Serco, as we deliver emergency services solutions that impact the lives of citizens and residents.
This article was originally published in the December 2024 issue of International Fire & Safety Journal. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.