Hi-Tech Firefighting at the Airport

Airport chiefs at Newcastle have taken command of two new state- of-the-art fire engines, worth pounds 500,000 each, making it the most advanced runway fire service in Europe.

The Panther appliances, which are the most technically advanced machines on the market today, are equipped with remote-controlled firefighting booms, infra-red cameras and a suite of space-age electronics inside the cab.

Made by Austrian firm Rosenbauer, they allow the airport’s firefighters to access the very heart of a blaze without having to leave the vehicle in the initial stages of a response.

Newcastle International is the first airport in the UK to have invested in the ground-breaking vehicles, and the investment has attracted worldwide attention from airports across the globe, including some of the world’s busiest international hubs.

London Heathrow ( the world’s third busiest airport ( is now planning to invest in the same technology following a recent fact- finding visit to see Newcastle’s new appliances in action. A spokesman said: “The Panthers are no ordinary firefighting machines.

“Weighing in at a colossal 36 tonnes, they are twice the size of regular fire appliances such as those used by local authority fire brigades, and can hold more than four times as much water ( 11,000 litres.

“Forget Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub, these striking machines would look more at home on the set of Star Wars than on the airfield.”

(c) 2007 The Journal – Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.