TIA Shows Off New Fire Trucks

Friday, January 26th 2007, 9:53 am

By: News On 6

Two of the best high-tech fire trucks can be found on the tarmac at Tulsa International Airport. News on 6 anchor Scott Thompson says Tulsa has joined only a handful of airports protected by the ultimate in "fire power."

They pack the punch of a fire hydrant rolling down the road at 30 miles an hour.

"These trucks pump and roll at the same time, said Chief Rick Phelps with Tulsa Fire Airport Operations. â€œWhich means the driver and the operator can approach the fire and be pumping extinguishing agent at the same time."

They're the only two in the fleet that can, and they're ready at Chief Rick Phelps' command.

Both trucks rolled out onto the tarmac Friday morning when an incoming Frontier Airlines jet started having trouble. Luckily, they weren't needed.

"Their strong suit of course is putting out fuel fires, that's what they're built to do," said Phelps.

Inside, firefighters have more to drive than just the steering wheel, joysticks control two water cannons and an infrared radar system helps pick out hotspots.

"We have enough foam on board for 6,000 gallons of extinguishing agent," Phelps said.

That's enough to power four more foam jets on the underside of the truck, so it can drive over a fire if it has to.

The tires on the truck are special too, they can inflate or deflate at a touch of a button, just in case the truck ever gets stuck in the mud.

With all the new gizmos there's still room for the firefighting basics, axes, fire extinguishers and even the jaws of life, in case crews have to pry open a crumpled fuselage.

Firefighters say they're always prepared for the worst. At least now, they have the best equipment available to do the job, and they're already putting it to work.

"We responded well, the trucks operated trouble free," Phelps said.

Each of the trucks cost $500,000; the FAA picked up most of the bill.