Released 03/12/2018
The ACT Emergency Services Agency today announced the first Fire Bombing Air Base to fill Large Air Tankers for bushfire suppression to be stationed at the Canberra Airport.
Today, Minister for Police and Emergency Services Mick Gentleman was joined by the ACT Emergency Services Agency Commissioner Dom Lane, NSW Rural Fire Service Assistant Commissioner Jason Heffernan and Canberra Airport Managing Director Stephen Byron to officially announce the ACT’s first Fire Bombing Air Base.
The Air Base will be used to fill Large Air Tankers with mixed fire retardant or gel depending on firefighting requirements. A significant benefit of the Air Base is the ability to store 60,000 litres of mixed retardant that is immediately available for loading into Large Air Tankers.
The NSW Government has contracted four Large Air Tankers and the commissioning of this Air Base is another significant initiative in place to ensure the ACT and NSW is bushfire ready.
The Capital Airport Group has been instrumental in supporting the introduction of the Air Base and Large Air Tankers that will be stationed at the Canberra Airport during the impending fire season.
This is a timely reminder to ACT residents, particularly those located in bushfire prone areas, to be bushfire ready and make sure they have a bushfire survival plan in place. Bushfire survival plans can be obtained from www.esa.act.gov.au
The addition of the Air Base will not only benefit the ACT region, but will boost available resources within NSW and Victorian Rural Fire Services to provide support and additional options for filling Large Air Tankers, minimising the need to travel longer distances to re-supply.
There will be 35 Air Base Operators and six Air Base Managers within the ACT who will undergo training to manage and run the Portable Air Base.
Thanks to capital funding provided by the ACT Government, this new initiative will enhance bushfire protection and firefighting coverage to ensure the ACT is prepared and protected this bushfire season.
- Statement ends -
Mick Gentleman, MLA | Media Releases
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