Fire services personnel trained in aircraft rescue ops

Bhubaneswar: The state fire services personnel will soon be able to carry out rescue operations and other fire-related emergencies in an aircraft.
Around 27 personnel of the state fire services have been trained in the operation of airport crash fire tender (ACFT) in case of a fire mishap at the airports or airstrips.
ACFT is a specially-designed fire tender to carry out rescue and aircraft firefighting.A few days ago, the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) had procured two ACFTs of Rosenbaur-make. Of the 27 personnel, six are currently being trained to operate the Rosenbaur-ACFT, which is technically superior to the conventional aircraft crash tenders, a BPIA official said.
The two ACFTs will be stationed at the Jeypore (Koraput district) and Utkela (Kalahandi district) airstrips, which are being developed under the Centre’s regional connectivity scheme or UDAN. Earlier, the BPIA had procured an ACFT made by Agni-Vijay.
“Though bigger airports like the BPIA do have their own aircraft rescue and firefighting teams, we will deploy the personnel of the state fire services at the small airports,” state transport secretary Madhusudan Padhi said.
The training included how to deal with fire during take-off and landing; evacuation of passengers; engine and undercarriage and interior fires. Two trainers, sent by the ACFT supplier, have been camping in the city for the past one week.
Such a training to handle aircraft fire assumes significance as a trainer aircraft crashed and caught fire at the Birasala airstrip in Dhenkanal district on June 8, in which the chief trainer and a trainee pilot were killed.
The state government is also planning to sign an agreement with the BPIA to carry out a joint rescue and firefighting work in case of emergencies at the city airport. “After the Kozhikode plane crash, we have discussed the feasibility of extending our assistance in the firefighting activities inside the airport area with BPIA officials. Though their firefighting team is the first responder to any crisis on the airport premises, our assistance will boost the rescue process,” a state fire service official said.