A question for the firefighters.
Four or five years ago, as I as leaving work, I noticed a S/E R/G aircraft that appeared to be taking off from Salinas,Ca airport, which is across the highway from my work. After a few seconds, it became obvious he was trying to LAND, but with the left gear at a 45 degree angle he couldn't. I found a vantage point and watched him make low passes trying to get the gear down. It was getting dark, and the pilot made the decision to land gear up.
There were 3 fire trucks and an ambulance standing by at the terminal. The distance between them and runway 26 is approx. 1/8 mile. The pilot landed and and came to a halt. The emergency equipment started moving AFTER the plane stopped. I know George Kennedy chasing a 747 is pretty extreme, but I would think the equipment could have gotten a better jump in case there was a problem. Is this SOP for all fire departments, or just a local deal?