Fresh fleet strengthens airport firefighting team

Bay of Islands Airport celebrated the arrival this month of two brand-new fire appliances with a special ceremony marking a major upgrade in the airport’s emergency response capability.

The two Responder 4 appliances replace the airport’s previous fire trucks, which date back to the 1980s. Built on Iveco Daily chassis and designed by Aviation Fire Services Ltd, the vehicles are purpose-built for aviation rescue and firefighting operations.

Each truck carries 1950 litres of water and feature high-performance pumps, along with bumper-mounted delivery units with a reach of 45m, allowing firefighters to tackle fires safely from a distance. The primary firefighting agent is an aqueous film forming foam. Dry chemical powder is also available for fuel and electrical fires.

Ngāti Rēhia Chairman, Kipa Munro, led the ceremony held on 9 October, with the support of wāhine from Kura Kaupapa in Kaitāia, who performed a waiata before the proceedings. Specialist custom vehicle fabricators, Prestige Diesel, commemorated the occasion by gifting a taonga, which will be displayed in the airport’s fire station.

Bay of Islands Airport owner and operator, Far North Holdings, which is also the council’s commercial arm, acknowledged the vital contribution provided by Air New Zealand in bringing the new fire appliances to the airport.