Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Tom LaVenture / Daily Globe Members of the Ironwood Township Fire Department attend a Tuesday training to familiarize the firefighters with a new fire truck at Gogebic-Iron County Airport. The Oshkosh brand firetruck is designed specifically for airport fires.
IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP - Members of the Ironwood Township Fire Department attended a training on Tuesday to familiarize the firefighters with a new fire truck at Gogebic-Iron County Airport.
Michael Harma, airport manager, along with other staff, walked the firefighters through the features of the Oshkosh brand Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) vehicle, which is designed for an airport ground emergency involving fires and even possible rescues of passengers and flight crews.
The 2019 model Striker 4x4 arrived on June 28, Harma said. The total cost of the vehicle was $662,869 of which the Gogebic-Iron County Airport paid $45,801 and a Federal Aviation Administration grant paid the remainder, he said.
According to the FAA, airports that operated with a Part 139 certified airports must provide ARFF services for air carrier operations. Gogebic-Iron County Airport operates with a Class I (A) Part 129 certification. The ARFF is equipped with twin engines along with water, foam, dry chemical and Halotron 1 tanks to more effectively suppress various types of fires that can occur at airports.
Harm showed the features familiar to the firefighters, such as water intake and outtake valves, hoses, levers to set the pressure and gauges to monitor. He went over the control panels that allow one firefighter the ability to operate most functions of the vehicle from one location.
Harma said that several departments respond to airport fire calls and each should have personnel who are trained to use the AARF. The plan is that airport personnel would move the vehicle to scene of the fire to start operation and that by this time area units should be arriving.
"At least one of you will need to be familiar with this if your department arrives first on the scene," Harma said to the firefighters.
Scott Carlson, chief of the Ironwood Township Fire Department, said the familiarization training on the ARFF is important. The department trains at the airport frequently to ensure that fire suppression operations are effective and safe.
"It's a new vehicle to me and I don't know anything about it yet," Carlson said. "That's why we're here tonight."
After the walk-around and several questions from the firefighters, the group drove to a training area on the airport property for a demonstration event to offer a chance for some hands-on training.
