EMB ERJ 145 ER/LR
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness; Distraction; Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Time Pressure; Workload
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness / Injury; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; General Physical Injury / Incapacitation; General Maintenance Action; General Declared Emergency
Procedure; Human Factors; Environment - Non Weather Related; Aircraft; Staffing
After blocking into the gate the ground personal brought the jetway to the aircraft; hooked up the GPU; and began the process of downloading the bags.  Two minutes after blocking in a ramp member plugged into the intercom and signaled me to put my headset on.  He then described water coming from the aircraft.  He described what was normally condensation coming from the packs on humid days.  Nonetheless I left the flight deck to go check it out.  I walked around the left wing and noticed the condensate dripping from the packs.  I then pointed to it and the Ramp Personnel then directed me toward the back of the plane which was dripping fluid.  I walked over to see what it was; as it did look like water; but a smell test of the puddle on the ground proved it to be Jet A.  Just as soon as I was able to stand back up the APU had dumped fuel all over my left shoulder and arm; and proceeded to spray fuel on the ramp.  The APU was still running; and now I was running (sprinting) back to the jetway and up the stairs; ran into the plane and shut everything off.  I then went back outside and noticed that there was still fuel coming out of the APU fairing; running down the back of the fuselage all over the ramp area.  It was also of a substantial amount that it was flowing near the area to where the belt loader was and the ramp crew was standing.  I then asked the ramp crew to call the fire department immediately as there was fuel everywhere on the ground and still coming out of the APU.  I also asked the ramp crew to stop unloading; and clear the area until the fuel is cleaned up and the aircraft is safe.I then went back to the flight deck to explain to the First Officer and Flight Attendant what had just happened.  At this point the passengers were still lined up in the jetway; but no longer on the aircraft.At this point I had made a call to Maintenance Control to notify them of the fuel spill and the leaking fuel from the APU.  Apparently this has happened before to this aircraft and was supposed to be fixed already.  According to my cell records this call was initiated at six minutes after block in.A ramp crewmember then came up to the aircraft and asked when we would be ready to board?  I then asked him if he had called the fire department yet; without responding to his question.  He said someone else had; I then asked him if he still thought his first question made sense.  I received no response.  I then went back outside to see if the fire department had arrived; saw that two ramp crew members where standing in fuel staring at the APU and the rest of the crew was still unloading bags while a belt loader was operating near the fuel spill.I then learned that no one had actually called the fire department now at least 5 min after the fuel spill had occurred.  I again asked for the fire department to be called and yelled to the ramp crew to not stand in the fuel.I went back in the jetway and asked the Gate Agent to call the fire department; and notify their Manager of what is going on.  She said she would and then got on her radio to do so.  I witnessed this call; and assumed someone would actually do so.  About 5 minutes later I again asked the same Gate Agent and ramp crew when the fire department was going to show up.  They both told me someone had already called; and I asked who someone was as there is still fuel all over the ramp area and still dripping from the APU fairing.  Somebody then actually called the fire department now; and according to the Captain from the airport fire department they were not called until seventeen minutes after block in and it took them less than a minute to first show up at the aircraft.I learned that the ramp crew finished downloading the aircraft and moving the bags to the jetway before calling the fire department.The major threat was the fuel spill.  The second threat was the ramp crew's disregard for anyone's safety with the large amount of spilled fuel and not following instructions to call the airport fire department for help. The second threat was the fuel that was spilled on my left arm and shoulder.The ramp crews must prioritize their safety and the safety of everyone else when requested to do so by the flight crew. After the call to Dispatch; I tried multiple times to get a hold of someone in Dispatch that would be interested in an update and be able to provide me with more direction.  I talked to multiple hub coordinators; was transfer over 4 times before having the call dropped; then made another attempt; was transferred to a hub coordinator who then refused to talk to me at all.  That person then transferred me again then my call was dropped again.I then left a message for the On Call Chief Pilot and my base Chief Pilot.  I have yet to receive a call from either of them. I then turned to leaving a voice mail for a Manager; who stepped out of a funeral to assist.  If I had not had his cell phone number; no one else was interested in dealing with this issue until he called Dispatch.  After that everyone was magically willing to help.
After gate arrival; an EMB-145 APU was found spilling fuel by Ramp Personnel who notified the Captain. The ramp crew did not call the fire department as directed for 15 minutes while the Captain shut the APU down and communicated with his Company.