Mangaluru: The second of the three-capacity building programme session for stakeholders arranged by Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) Unit of Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) on Tuesday March 15 tested inter-operability of stakeholders.
The ARFF organised the first session on February 22. The final session will be help prior to the full-scale aerodrome emergency exercise planned with the District Disaster Management Authority on May 4.
In all, 21 personnel from Karnataka State Fire and Emergency Services (KSF&ES) under the leadership of district fire officer and 8 personnel from State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) attended the day’s session. A total of 28 KSF&ES and SDRF personnel had attended the first session. Under this initiative, the KSF&ES and SDRF personnel were familiarised with the topography and layout of the airport, to help them meet any exigency.
The day’s session saw KSF&ES personnel and ARFF personnel familiarize themselves with each other’s fire crash tenders. KSF&ES fire crash tender supplied water to the ARFF fire crash tender, who in turn replenished the former from their crash tender. Later, the ARFF personnel guided the KSF&ES fire tender to the water replenishment tank behind the ARFF station. The participants were also taken on a perimeter round of the airport.
The district fire officer thanked the ARFF for the initiative which will stand all stakeholders in good stead to meet an actual on-ground exigency. Terming the session useful, the officer said the sessions will help KSF&ES unit in Mangaluru join hands with the ARFF and other stakeholder agency to familiarise themselves with the topography of the airport, cut down on response times, one which could mean saving lives in an emergency.
The ARFF unit at MIA will also conduct a similar capacity building programme for the fire and emergency response units of major industries in the vicinity. This initiative further reinforces the commitment of MIA to meet professional standards aimed at strengthening and consolidating safety processes to ensure that the airport lives up to its commitment of being the #GatewayToGoodness.
