FORT SMITH -- The Fort Smith Regional Airport is getting a $592,000 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration to buy and equip a new firetruck.
The grant was announced in a news release Tuesday by U.S. Sens. John Boozman and Tom Cotton and 3rd District U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, all Republicans from Arkansas.
"This is an important investment in Fort Smith that will allow the airport to meet transportation demands and safety standards," Boozman said in the release.
Cotton and Womack said in the release that the new firefighting equipment was key to maintain the airport as a critical component of Fort Smith's economic growth.
The grant will provide the money to purchase and equip a new 1,500-gallon Index B Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle and four fire-protection suits, according to the release.
Airport Director John Parker said the grant from FAA discretionary funds required a 10 percent match from the airport.
"This is an important acquisition for us for the future and our ability to maintain our index," he said.
E-One, the fire-vehicle manufacturing company in Ocala, Fla., will need a year to manufacture the truck, Parker said. E-One was the lowest bidder of the three qualified companies that submitted bids on the project, he said.
In addition to its capacity for 1,500 gallons of water, the truck will carry a supply of firefighting foam and dry chemical, he said. The firetruck will be designed for a 15-year lifespan, but Parker said the airport's good maintenance practices will extend the truck's life beyond 15 years.
The airport took over its own fire-protection duties in October, when the Arkansas Air National Guard's 188th Wing lost its flying mission at the airport and the need for aircraft fire protection. The wing had long provided the service for the airport as part of its fire-protection duties for its own aircraft.
The wing has allowed the airport to continue to use its firetruck so it can maintain its aircraft fire and rescue requirements. But Parker said the truck is old and that the FAA required the airport to upgrade.
When the new truck arrives, he said, the airport will keep the 188th's truck as a backup.
NW News on 05/15/2015