Vadodara

The state-run Harni civil airport here would soon get two crash fire tenders imported from Netherlands, an official said today.

The new fire tenders are expected to arrive in the city within a month and would replace three BEML-Tatra crash fire tenders currently in use, fire services department in charge M M Chandanshiye said today.

“An airport crash fire tender, known in some countries as airport fire appliance, is a specialised fire engine designed for use in aircraft rescue and firefighting at aerodromes,” he said.

The old fire tenders may be sent to the airports in Kandla, Bhuj or Diu, Chandanshiyehe added.

The Airport Authority of India’s professionally-trained staff provides high-tech fire fighting services of different categories at its airports, depending on criticality. It also works in close co-ordination with the city Fire Brigade through hotlines, in the event of a fire incident, he said.

Last August, officials of the AAI’s local office here had written to the Vadodara Municipal Commissioner H S Patel to renew the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the airport and the city’s fire service. The MoU expired on September 18, 2015, and renewal is awaited, he said.

As many as 16 flights operate daily from the Harni airport, which is located on the outskirts of the city, the official said.

The flyers include foreigners, MNC executives and officials of organisations such as Bombardier, Alstom, TBEA, Reliance Industries Limited, Gujarat Refinery, GSFC, L&T, ONGC, among others, he added. PTI