Mangaluru International Airport enhances emergency response capabilities

Mangaluru Airport enhances emergency response with pressurized fire hydrant points for ARFF team efficiency and safety.

Mangaluru International Airport has given a boost to its emergency response system, with the commissioning of pressurised fire hydrant points along the steep valley side abutting the runway, outside the boundary wall.

This infrastructure will enable the Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) team to handle aviation emergencies in the valley in an adept manner.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), as part of its safety recommendations, has mandated that the airport set up the fire hydrant system in the valley. The ARFF team will now have access to these points, a release from the airport said on Friday, August 16.

“Mangaluru Airport is focused on enabling a safe and seamless passenger experience. These hydrants shall further cut down the response time of ARFF in case of an emergency and enable the team to deal with it most efficiently,” the airport spokesperson said.

The airport has further modernised the hydrant system by using a 280m Galvanized Iron (GI) pipeline down the slope, replacing the earlier PVC pipeline that was prone to breakage. The two hydrant points are in the middle of the valley slope and the other at the base of the valley slope abutting Adyapady Road. They are connected to a 25,000-litre water storage tank located behind the localizer in the Runway End Safety Area abutting the apron perimeter road.

A 20 HP automated pump will help maintain the six-bar pressure at the hydrant points. This will ensure that there is no drop in end pressure even if multiple hoses are connected to either of the hydrants. The new firefighting system outside the airport boundary wall was commissioned on Wednesday, August 14, the release said.