Media Releases

Media Release - Bright future for Airservices Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighters - 10/08

Airservices Australia has today commissioned 3 new high visibility Mk8 (pronounced Mark 8) Rosenbauer fire trucks each valued at over $1M at a ceremony at Canberra International Airport, in a boost to their operations in the National Capital.

When fully equipped the Mk8’s will carry approximately ten thousand litres of water and foam and can empty its tank in less than 2 minutes, with it’s water cannon capable of shooting over eighty metres in distance.

Airservices Australia Chairman David Forsyth said the new vehicles, which weigh thirty tonne and can accelerate to eighty kilometres in under thirty seconds, will more than meet the required response time of less that 3 minutes to the end of the runways and extinguish all fires around the aircraft in under sixty seconds of arriving.

“The Mk8s represent a significant investment for Airservices and demonstrate our commitment to the application of new technology. They are also enhancing the safety of our airport operations”, Mr Forsyth said.

The trucks feature a new bright ‘yellowish-green’ fluorescent colouring which replaces the traditional red of Australia’s fire fighting vehicles, after testing revealed it matched or out performed the red in all weather and lighting conditions and had the most powerful visual impact of all colours on observers.

Airservices Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting engineer Mark Parsons said exhaustive in-house testing and collaboration with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the ACT Ambulance Service had confirmed the new colour improved the visibility of these important service vehicles.

“The new colour is the safest for vehicles operating in the airport environment and we’re pleased to see that CASA is looking at potentially using it for all airside vehicles in the future”, Mr Parsons said.

Canberra ARFF will have 2 Mk8s in service 7 days a week to manage any incident at Canberra airport. The commissioning is part of a nation wide roll out of 76 new fire fighting vehicles to be introduced into Australia’s airports in the next 3 to 5 years. Four of the new Mk8’s are already in operation in Darwin in the Northern Territory.

Further vehicles will soon be commissioned in Queensland and with others to be in operation in stations across the country by April 2009. The existing red trucks at the remaining stations will be gradually painted in the new yellowish-green as Airservices works towards uniformity in the new colour.

For more information about Airservices new fleet of fire fighting vehicles visit www.airservicesaustralia.com

Interesting information:

• The Mk8 vehicles at Canberra Airport weigh the same as a large semi-trailer (30 tonne)
• The Mk8 can accelerate at approximately the same speed as a small truck (0 to 80km in under 30 seconds)
• The Mk8 carries water and foam about equal half your average size swimming pool (approximately 10,000lt)
• The Mk8 water canon can shoot over 3/4 of the length of a football field (80m)
• The Mk8 pump will empty it's water tank in less than 2 minutes

For further information contact:
Airservices Australia Public Affairs
Ph: +61 2 6257 2828

Airservices Australia is a Government owned organisation responsible for the safe and efficient management of air traffic across 11 per cent of the world's air space. Services include air traffic control, airspace management, aeronautical information, radar communications, radio navigation aids, aviation maintenance and engineering, environmental management and aviation rescue and firefighting. Airservices website: www.airservicesaustralia.com