VIDEO: The Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport is less than a week away from having their newest safety tool hit the ground running.
Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) is a special category of fighting a fire involving an aircraft. The Lewiston Fire Department’s newest ARFF truck is ready and it’s something the fire chief said is essential.
“From the seat you can drive it, you can spray foam or dry chemical agent, so you can do everything to protect the means of egress on an aircraft,” said Fire Chief Myklebust. The truck is a major improvement compared to the 22-year-old truck currently being used.
It starts with the technology on board, such as sensors, balance mechanisms, and thermal cameras.
"Those are all things that they want you to have so that you can better protect people flying in and out of the airport,” Myklebust explained.
The new truck also has ten times the amount of foam than a regular structural engine.
"You actually can't put out a flammable liquid fire without the foam,” said Chief Myklebust.
The old truck will still be used in some capacity.