Airservices Australia’s Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) service at Sydney Airport has received a new aerial fire fighting vehicle which can provide access to the upper deck of an Airbus A380 in the event of an emergency.
ARFF instructors have been training on the new, $820,000 vehicle since July 12. It features a turntable ladder for ease of climbing and a basket capable of carrying two to three fire fighters. It can reach up to 30m or extend out sideways fully-loaded past 16m. It also allows a monitor or fire hose to be used from an elevated position in fire fighting operations, such as fighting a fire on the upper deck of an A380.
As an interim measure, Airservices had loaned a turntable ladder from the New South Wales Fire Brigades to meet the needs of the introduction of A380 services at Sydney. The airport currently handles 60 A380 movements a week, making it one of the busiest A380 airports in the world.
