The Cyril E. King Airport has officially added its newest fire apparatus to its fleet of four trucks that will be used to extinguish any fires at the airport on St. Thomas. The new apparatus is equipped with a Scania engine, a 1,500-gallon water tank, and a 200-gallon tank for Aqueous Film Forming Foam, which is a fire suppressant used to extinguish flammable liquid fires such as fuel fires. It also carries 500 pounds of Purple-K, also known as PKP, which is a dry-chemical fire suppression agent used for chemical fires.
The Virgin Islands Port Authority received the new Oshkosh Global Striker, dubbed “Engine 9,” via boat in late May this year. However, it could not be used until the truck had been fully inspected by a technician from the manufacturer to ensure it had not been damaged during the shipping process. With the inspection complete, the warranty on the apparatus is validated and the truck can now service the airport. The new apparatus cost $770,721 and was purchased via a Federal Aviation Administration grant.
