Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has embarked on the process of overhauling the Entebbe International Airport Department of aerodrome rescue and fire fighting in a bid to have a stable fire and rescue services at Entebbe Airport and in Uganda.
The process of overhauling the department of aerodrome rescue and fire fighting has began with fixing the man power gaps and as a result, 25 fire fighter trainees who have been undergoing training in fire fighting skills for the past 17 weeks were passed out on Friday and are ready for deployment.
While speaking at the Pass out ceremony on Friday, Acting Chief Fire Officer Rev. Samuel Atabua disclosed that the pass out is the first of it’s kind in the department of aerodrome rescue and fire fighting and also thanked Management for the support towards recruitment of the fire fighters.
Previously there has been lack of will in doing some things and we used not to wish well for others but that is long gone and we are in new era. The department is improving on the numbers of personnel because it covers all the aerodromes in the whole country. We have 124 personnel which isn’t enough because we have two sections (fire fighting) and Marine with 31 personnel and within a short time, we have been able to harmonize both the fire department and marines because for a very long time there hasn’t been harmony, Rev. Atabua explained.
He Continued;
We are transforming the department into a better place and as a result we have finalized a five year strategic planning which has never existed in this place because we need transparency in everything we are going to do in the department so that we can move on well. To the new fire fighter trainees, the job requires commitment, discipline and team work. Our Instructors continue to do their part and we have a number of them certified at different levels in fire fighting training however we need to build the training department. We are going to roll out many other programs and we request for support from management.
Rev. Atabua also revealed that the fire fighting department is already looking forward to having a fully fledged maintenance department and fire fighters who have skills in mechanics will be deployed in the mechanics department.
We are also ensuring that the trainees are multi-skilled both in fire fighting and Marines so that deployment becomes easy. In the next recruitment, we shall absorb people with technical skills in mechanics, diving, life saving and nursing who will be deployed in the fire ambulance. Out of the 25 trainees, 9 will be deployed in the marines section and they will have to undergo open water life saving course, revealed Rev. Atabua
Meanwhile, Kintu Robert a Fire Officer and a trainer revealed that the 25 trainees had to do a practical fire fighting demonstration to showcase the skills they have acquired.
The trainees had to do a hot fire exercise and we mixed 800 Liters of Jet A1 (aviation fuel) and they have ably demonstrated that they can handle any fire outbreak and emergency. Our goal is to have a school of emergency services at Entebbe International Airport and cut on the travel costs to United Kingdom, Cameroon and Singapore that offer fire fighting courses at an international level. We need to have fire fighting skills in combustion chambers, smoke chambers, LPG Feeds, Aircraft simulators and Aircraft Props, explained Kintu.
Kintu also urged management to support the department’s efforts to train the instructors in several ICAO certified Courses namely Training Instructor Course 1, Training Instructor Course 2, Training Developers course, Training Managers Course and other specialized courses so as to build competence in the department.
On his part, CAA Deputy Managing Director Fred Bamwesigye appreciated Rev. Samuel Atabua for transforming the aerodrome rescue and fire fighting department and disclosed that fire and rescue services are the critical level of an operation of an Airport and Aviation in general adding that fire and rescue services are at the heart of safety of passengers and other Airport users in general.
I want to recognize the harmony between the marines and fire fighting that has been achieved in a very short time. I want to direct the Human Resource department to build on that harmony and make it totally one. I want to congratulate the trainees upon completing training in aerodrome rescue and fire fighting (ICAO 111 Course) which lasted 17 weeks and I want to thank them for choosing the selfless profession. We are going to form a big maintenance unit and wherever they are (mechanics) we shall get them for purposes of having a stable fire and rescue services at Entebbe International Airport and in Uganda.
Fire and rescue services are the critical level of an operation of an Airport and Aviation in general. Fire and rescue services are at the heart of safety of passengers and other Airport users in general. The journey we’ve started we must not lose the momentum because I’ve no doubt in my mind that the team is of purpose and demonstrated their readiness to tackle emergencies and all manners of accidents.
The training covered foremanship, Airport Familiarization (types of airports), Aircraft Familiarization (details of aircraft), level of protection/extinguishing agents (categorization of airports), personnel safety, communication systems, Tools and equipment, strategies and tactical operations, Aircraft emergencies, structural emergencies, fire appliances (engines, trucks), Dangerous goods and Basic life support (First Aid). The training was done in accordance with standards as guided in the aerodrome services manual, Airport rescue and firefighting manuals.