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Norfolk International Airport rated safest small hub in the country

Posted at 9:12 AM, Mar 07, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-07 09:32:03-05

Norfolk, Va. - The firefighters at Norfolk International Airport have taken it upon themselves to make ORF one of the safest airports in the country.

For the third year in a row, ORF was rated the No. 1 safest small hub airport in the country by the American Association of Airport Executives.

"All these individuals have taken steps to improve their knowledge and education into their job performance," says Charles Lavene, the Fire Chief here at Norfolk Airport. "I think that gives the passengers of this airport comfort in knowing that these folks are well trained and well educated and really take pride in their work."

The rating is based on a series of web videos that employees watch for further training. The firefighters at Norfolk International Airport have watched the most of any department in the country.

"It's a supplemental training to our FAA required training, so its in addition to what were already doing, but it just shows the professionalism," says Lavene.

The web videos range from emergency operations to customer service, so the entire airport can take part in the extra training.

"Everybody was on board with this program and that’s why we've been so successful," says Lavene, "not just the fire department, but the whole airport."