The federal government of Nigeria has acquired ten new state-of-the-art aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicles worth N12 billion for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), to serve three International airports across the country.
The three airports are those at Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt.
This is just as eight (8) new water tankers have been acquired for continuous agent applications with more still coming.
Unveiling the trucks at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Nigeria’s minister of aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika said the acquisition of the trucks fell in line with the commitment of the President Muhammadu Buhari government towards the keeping the sector safe, secured and its transformation.
The minister used the opportunity to recall how for over 15 years before the administration of President Buhari no single fire vehicle was purchased to fight fire in the event of an emergency except the usual cannibalization of some trucks to fix others.
Sirika while emphasizing the importance of fire trucks to safety at any airport recalled the sad crash of the Sosoliso aircraft carrying some students of Abuja based Loyola Jesuit College in Port-Harcourt that burst into flames killing the students onboard and other passengers due to lack of adequate fire cover at the airport at the period.
According to the minister: ”We all remember our children that left Abuja to Port Harcourt in the sosoliso crash, we couldn’t save those children because some of them even though the airplane landed but crashed they were still alive, we didn’t have adequate proper fire cover to save those lives and parents were seeing their children burning alive”.
Besides the arrival of the ten trucks, the minister disclosed that another contract had already been awarded to establish a fire truck rehabilitation, overhaul and maintenance center which will begin to assemble in Nigeria for use in the country and for the market for West and Central Africa.
“So we are doing quite a lot and we are talking about safety and security of the sector. When we leave we pray those people coming to succeed us would do much, much better than we have done”.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of FAAN, Captain. Rabiu Yadudu said the acquisition of the fire trucks was an attestation to the quality and positive transformational changes for the safe, secure and efficiency of sector by the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari.
In the course of acquiring the trucks, Yadudu said all regulatory automotive standards for major firefighting vehicles were strictly adhered to by the FAAN.
Citing some features of the trucks, Yadudu revealed that each of the fire vehicles only carries 14,000 litres of water; 1,700 litres of foam and 250kg powder capacity while each also monitors the discharge rate of between 6,000Litres to 10,000 Litres per minute and the acceleration rate is from 0 to 80km/hr in 30 seconds.
“The truck can discharge while in motion (professional pump and roll operation) and is equipped with under chassis nozzles to tackle running fuel fire. These vehicles would be deployed to MMA Lagos, NAIA Abuja and MAKIA Kano while we are also processing additional vehicles for Port-Harcourt and Enugu”.
He pledged a comprehensive training for the end users of the vehicles and the mechanical units and maintenance too even as he added : “This is to ensure the vehicles are not only used as specified by the manufacturers, they would also be maintained accordingly.
“Additional eleven (11) ambulances were also procured to replace the obsolete ones that were bought in 1996. For the first time the Fire Chiefs have their Response Commanders’ Vehicles, the two new Prado jeeps were deployed to MMA and NAIA respectively, more will also be procured in due course.
“We have also taken delivery of Aircraft Removal and Recovery Equipment that can handle critical aircraft coming to our airports. We also enhanced the provision of dedicated water supply with hydrants. A number of dilapidated Fire Stations were renovated and provision of new ones in Kano and Enugu are in the pipeline.
“It will boost the certification of international airports in Nigeria which would increase patronage from more international flights and further enhance the confidence of international investors in our nation. These efforts are geared towards ensuring Nigeria becomes an international hub in Africa”.
