Phoenix’s airport rescue and firefighting (ARFF) trucks at Sky Harbor are essentially invisible on tower screens right now, city and airport officials acknowledged this week, since they do not broadcast their positions to tower displays. That detail is emerging just as national attention zeroes in on a recent runway collision in New York, where investigators say a fire truck without a transponder was struck by a landing jet, killing two pilots and sending dozens of people to hospitals. In Phoenix, the lack of vehicle transponders has prompted officials to take another hard look at how crews and controllers coordinate on the movement areas.
Phoenix Fire officials told reporters that ARFF units at Sky Harbor are not equipped with vehicle movement transmitters and that crews instead rely on radio communications and runway indicator lights when entering the movement area, according to Arizona's Family. Federal investigators have seized on that same gap while probing the LaGuardia collision: NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said the Port Authority truck involved was not equipped with a transponder, and investigators are examining whether an alert could have prevented the crash, AP News reported.
How Transponders and Surface Radar Are Supposed to Work
The FAA’s surface systems, including ASDE-X/ASSC and the newer Surface Awareness Initiative, fuse radar, ADS-B and transponder returns so controllers can see aircraft and vehicles on tower displays. In a May 12, 2025 CertAlert, the FAA urged airports to equip movement-area vehicles with Vehicle Movement Area Transmitters (VMATs) and expanded funding eligibility for those systems to help reduce runway incursions, and the alert also explains how these systems display vehicle positions to controllers. That CertAlert outlines recommended actions and funding guidance for VMAT equipment and runway-incursion warning systems.
Where Sky Harbor Stands
Phoenix Sky Harbor is among major airports with advanced surface surveillance tools, and airport officials told Arizona's Family that supervisory runway-inspection vehicles at PHX already carry transponders even though ARFF rigs do not. The city says it is “looking into transponders” for its ARFF units as a follow-up to the FAA advisory and that airport crews continue to train on required radio procedures and tower coordination.
What Could Change Next
The FAA guidance makes VMAT equipment and certain runway warning systems eligible for Airport Improvement Program funds, meaning retrofits are financially possible if the city opts to pursue them. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy has said transponders “should be standard equipment” for vehicles operating in movement areas, increasing pressure on airports to consider accelerated upgrades while the LaGuardia investigation continues. Those comments, and the continued safety push from investigators, were detailed by AP News.
What Travelers Should Know
For passengers, there is no immediate change to how Sky Harbor operates. Officials say towers and crews continue to follow FAA-directed procedures and that safety protocols remain in force while the city evaluates equipment options. Any decision to outfit ARFF rigs with VMATs or similar gear would require planning, procurement and testing and would not be an overnight fix.
Bottom line, Phoenix officials say safety and coordination are the priority as they review whether to retrofit ARFF vehicles with transponders in the wake of the LaGuardia collision. Federal guidance and potential funding exist to support such upgrades, and investigators continue to piece together whether electronic vehicle tracking could have changed the outcome in New York.
