FAA: Firefighters at Harlingen, TX, Airport Not Trained to Handle Wildlife on Runways

HARLINGEN — The Federal Aviation Administration closed its investigation into Valley International Airport finding the city of Harlingen failed to properly train airport firefighters in handling wildlife hazards on runways.

In the agency’s fourth investigation since 2017, the FAA cited the city with a violation for failure to ensure “qualified” airport firefighters inspected the airfield for wildlife such as flocks of birds on landing strips, calling for “immediate” training.

In November, the FAA launched the investigation in response to then-Aviation Director Marv Esterly’s Oct. 3 letter citing “serious concerns regarding the safety and operational readiness of the airport rescue firefighting program.”

In closing its investigation, the agency’s March 26 warning letter to interim airport Director Michael Browning found the FAA cited the airport’s “certificate holder,” which is the city of Harlingen.

”Our investigation revealed the certificate holder failed to train ARFF persons with duties and responsibilities required under the Airport Certification Manual relating to the airport self-inspection program and wildlife hazardous management,” Denson E. Stasher, manager of the FAA’s Airports Division’s Southwest Region Safety and Standards Branch stated, copying Fire Chief Rafael Balderas.

”It is imperative that all personnel with duties and responsibilities for the airport self-inspection program and wildlife hazardous management receive initial training and recurrent training every 12 consecutive calendar months,” he added.

Despite issuing the violation, the FAA determined it would not take enforcement action against the city, Stasher stated.

“In closing this case, we have given consideration to all available facts and have concluded the matter does not warrant legal enforcement,” he stated. “We have determined the certificate holder has taken appropriate action to address this matter. We will expect your future compliance with the regulations. In lieu of such action, we are issuing this warning letter, which will be made a matter of record.”

During an April 1 city commission meeting, Mayor Norma Sepulveda twice told the audience the FAA investigation found former Assistant Aviation Director Bryan Wren failed to properly train the Harlingen Fire Department’s team of airport firefighters.

“The reality is here that the FAA specifically said, stated, that the failure was on the Valley International Airport deputy manager and it was because he failed to properly train and not the city of Harlingen,” she told the audience amid commissioners’ discussion.

Later in the discussion, Sepulveda named Wren.

“The failure was not on the city, the failure was not on our Harlingen Fire Department. It was not on our ARFF,” she said, referring to the fire department’s aircraft rescue and firefighting team. “It was on Bryan Wren for not doing his job and not providing the training. Those are not my words, those are the FAA words.”

On Tuesday, Sepulveda said the FAA found the airport responsible for training, while Wren had served as wildlife hazard coordinator.

”The FAA found that Valley International Airport is responsible for training airport maintenance and ARFF personnel to ensure that qualified personnel perform those inspections,” she said in a statement. “The assistant airport director had served as the wildlife hazard coordinator since 2012 and had ensured proper training for airport maintenance employees, but the FAA found that this training had not been provided to ARFF personnel as required.”

But Wren said the airport’s certification manual, along with a memorandum of understanding between the airport and the fire department, states firefighters are “required to assist with hazardous wildlife mitigation plan procedures.”

“Additionally, the MOU clearly establishes that the ARFF captain is responsible for the training of ARFF personnel and is required to ensure such training is conducted in accordance with both the (certification manual) and the MOU,” he said in a statement. “The responsibility for ARFF personnel training — including wildlife procedures — rests with the ARFF captain and the Harlingen Fire Department administration, not the airport.”

Wren described Sepulveda’s statement as “inaccurate” and “misleading.”

“For the mayor to state this is completely inaccurate. It’s obvious the mayor is misleading the public on how the FAA finalizes investigations,” he said, adding, “in my 30 years in the aviation industry, the FAA would never specify a person or a title as responsible for a violation finding, whether issued verbally or in writing.”

The investigation’s findings come during one of the airport’s most turbulent periods in its history.

In August, Esterly, after 11 years on the job, announced his early retirement amid a monthslong debate over his proposal to hire Pro-Tec Fire Services to replace the city’s $1 million agreement providing the Harlingen Fire Department’s airport firefighting team, arguing the move would save more than $200,000 a year on a break-even budget.

Then, on Oct. 30, Wren, after 18 years on the job, announced his resignation, claiming city officials disregarded federal public safety warnings while moving to take control of the airport.

The FAA’s investigation marks the agency’s fourth probe into the fire department’s airport firefighting team in about eight years.

From 2017 to 2024, the FAA cited the fire department for three training violations. As it closed its investigation based on its 2024 findings, the FAA described the fire department’s violations as “isolated” and “not systemic” to the city’s training program.

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