A NEW fleet of firefighting vehicles were delivered to the Island recently which will help the Airport fire crew tackle emergencies.
The new Rosenbauer Panther 6×6 HRET vehicles joined the Jersey Airport Rescue and Firefighting Service fleet last month, to replace some of the old vehicles – some were over 20 years old.
The Panthers are 12 metres long and 3 metres wide with a water capacity of 11,200 litres, which is nearly double the previous vehicles capacity.
The fleet was built in a factory in Austria, with an 18-month build time, and were later shipped down St Malo on low loaders to be brought across to the island.
From there, the Airport Firefighting team collected them and drove them up to the Airport.
On 12 October, the operating team will receive training carried out by Rosenbauer UK to ensure all crew understand the operation of every button, locker area and cab component as well as maintenance training.
After this, instructors are visiting the Island to teach specifically about the the High Reach Extendable Turret, or HRET, which is a key feature of the Panthers, and will be delivered throughout the service.
This technology gives the crew the ability to position the firefighting turret directly where it is needed.
The Panthers are excepted to be fully operational in three months time after all necessary training is completed.
Charlie Du Feu, station manager at Ports of Jersey Airport Fire Service, said: “These vehicles represent a significant investment in our emergency response capability at Jersey Airport and provide our crews with some of the most modern firefighting technology available.
“The Panthers combine this high technology, such as the HRET, with excellent vehicle performance, substantial firefighting capacity and modern safety systems. They have been specifically designed to give airport firefighters the tools and capabilities required to deal with the unique challenges of aircraft rescue and firefighting.
“With these vehicles, a lot of the firefighting is now going to be done from inside the operating cab. Recently, in the industry, a focus has been healthy firefighter initiatives, and how we can protect our crews a lot more by ensuring that a lot of the initial firefighting being done isn’t outside the cab.
“Jersey Airport is an important part of the Island’s infrastructure, and maintaining a modern and capable Rescue and Firefighting Service is essential. The new Panthers are a fantastic addition to our fleet and will significantly enhance our ability to protect passengers, aircraft, and the Airport infrastructure as a whole.”
