Changi Airport commissions new airport fire-fighting vehicles

Changi Airport Group (CAG) today announced that it has commissioned Oshkosh Corporation, a US-based leading manufacturer of specialty equipment and vehicles, to provide seven new vehicles for its Airport Emergency Service (AES) unit. This is the first time that CAG has engaged a U.S. manufacturer to take delivery of these vehicles. The handing over of the new vehicles was done at a ceremony witnessed by Mr David Adelman, United States Ambassador to Singapore today.

The new Oshkosh vehicles installed with state-of-the-art features will complement AES’s current fleet of vehicles. Of the seven new vehicles commissioned, five of these are Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) vehicles, also known as Global Strikers. Unlike previous fire vehicles, the Global Strikers are equipped with ‘power dividers’ which allow a seamless process for pump operations to be made while the fire vehicles are on the move. AES officers can now engage the fire pump even before they have reached the crash site for fire fighting operations.

The Global Strikers also feature a High Reach Extendable Turret (HRET), fitted onto one of the Global Striker vehicles. Available for the first time at Changi Airport, this vehicle is designed with a high-reach turret extending 20 metres that is capable of reaching the second level of the fuselage of an A380 aircraft.  It is fitted with a piercing nozzle which is able to pump water or foam into a fuselage for fire fighting within the interior of an aircraft.  This new innovation helps extend the survivable time for passengers trapped in a burning aircraft while rescue efforts are on its way. 

The sixth new vehicle is the Aerial Ladder Platform. This vehicle is customised for high-rise rescue and fire fighting operations, as well as for other fires that may occur within the terminal buildings.  The Mobile Command Vehicle rounds up the last of the vehicles. It comes equipped with advanced features including a ‘live’ video feed system to transmit real-time footage from the crash site to the Casualty Clearance Station. This includes real-time updates on the casualty status that can be sent to the Crisis Management Centre for co-ordinated rescue efforts. More information about the vehicles can be found in the attached factsheets.

With the additional vehicles, AES will now own 18 aircraft fire-fighting vehicles (land rescue) and two hovercraft and two fire boats under its Sea Rescue Base unit. As with all newly commissioned vehicles, AES officers have undergone specialised training both in the United States and locally before these vehicles are commissioned into service.