CAAP acquires 41 aircraft rescue, firefighting vehicles

MANILA, Philippines – In a unanimous decision, the board of directors of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) approved the acquisition of 41 brand new units of industrial type airport rescue firefighting vehicles.

The new fire trucks called Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting vehicle (ARFF) are expected to improve the firefighting capability of major commercial airports in the country.

They were certified by an independent international 3rd party that said the product meets and exceeds all National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), FAA and ICAO international standards for aircraft and rescue fighting.

CAAP operates 81 airports, including 41 that handle commercial flights. The commercial airports had an inventory of 97 firetrucks with acquisition date as far as 1968. Around 17 units were already out of commission due to the lack of supply of spare parts.

The 80 working units on the CAAP inventory had an average year acquisition of 20 years. It was only in 2013 that 3 new ARFF vehicles were added with 6,000 to 13,000 liter capacity.

At par international standards?

Upgrading equipment and facilities in CAAP-run airports is part of the government’s plan to meet global aviation standards.

CAAP director general William Hotchkiss III said the deployment of the newly acquired ARFF vehicles is part of the plan to upgrade the Emergency Services Unit of CAAP on all major airports in the Philippines.

This is in compliance with the International Civil Authority Organization (ICAO), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union (EU) international standards for aircraft and rescue fighting requirements.

A competitive public bidding was done before the procurement of the 41 ARFF vehicles – 4 with 12,000 liters of water capacity and 37 with 6,000 liters capacity.

The procurement of goods contract was awarded to Oshkosh Corporation worth P1,316 million for the 41 units. (READ: Abaya: Nothing irregular in CAAP fire truck bidding)

According to Hotchkiss, the delivery of the brand new equipment ensures that CAAP is now at the same level with other airports in Southeast Asia. – Rappler.com