Ladder trucks extend firefighters’ reach

PORT Moresby firefighters will be able to respond to fires in high-rise buildings more effectively as soon as two ladder trucks arrive from Japan.
One of the ladders can reach 30m high and the other 35m.
According to chief fire officer Bill Roo, these vehicles were expected in March and would boost the operations of the fire service in the ever-growing city of Port Moresby.
“The ladder trucks will help the fire service overcome some of the challenges and questions, we have always been asked time and again in the media, as to how well is the fire service going to be able to respond when fire broke out in high-rise buildings? Roo said.
“With these two trucks it will boost the morale of my fire fighters in responding to fire calls as well as build public confidence and trust in the fire service.”
Roo said the fire engines were made possible through funding assistance from the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP), a small component of Japan’s official development assistance (ODA) programme in PNG.
He said this would be the second time the government of Japan through its embassy and grant programme (GGP) had come on board to assist the fire service in such time as the city was continuing to grow and extend upwards.
Japan donated six fire trucks early last month through a similar funding assistance which were used during the Apec leaders meeting.