Puerto Rico Ports Authority opens bid cycle for rescue vehicle fleet
Looking to optimize the air rescue response in the event of an emergency at the airports certified under Part 139 of the Federal Aviation Administration, in Ponce and Aguadilla, Puerto Rico Ports Authority Executive Director Joel A. Pizá announced the opening of a bidding cycle for the acquisition of two rapid intervention firefighting and rescue trucks.
The “Quick Dash” vehicles for rapid interventions that the agency will purchase are of “vital importance,” since this type of vehicle is the first to arrive at the scene of an emergency to initiate rescue operations in aviation accidents.
The Quick Dash units will be equipped with fire extinguishing tools and will meet FAA specifications, he said.
Each Quick Dash vehicle will have a 300-gallon water tank, a 300-gallon per minute water pump system, a 40-gallon AFFF tank and a 500-pound base dry potassium extinguishing agent system. In addition, it can carry four air rescue specialists with their personal protective equipment.
Both trucks are estimated to enter service June 1, 2023 and will be assigned to Ponce’s Mercedita Airport and Aguadilla’s Rafael Hernández Airport.
“In addition to responding to aircraft emergencies and rescuing victims, [the vehicles] also intervene in any emergency that arises on the airport premises, such as medical emergencies, fuel spills, structural fires, bomb threats, car accidents, natural disasters, among others,” Pizá said.
