The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) passed out 72 Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighter staff who undertook a two-week course in driving, operations and maintenance of the 2 new state of the art major foam tenders, on Friday, October 11, 2024.
The trainees underwent a comprehensive training that equipped them with skills to drive, operate and maintain Falcon 6×6 specialized Chassis fire trucks supplied by the East African Distributors Ltd of the Madhvani group, who are the sole distributors of NAFFCO products in Uganda.
Presiding over the pass out ceremony held at the new cargo center at Entebbe International Airport, the Director General of UCAA, Mr. Fred Bamwesigye, said the aviation industry in Uganda is experiencing tremendous growth, which is reflected in the number of new flights and the increasing number of arrivals and departures at Entebbe International Airport, thus the need to enhance professional skills for manpower that can handle emergencies.
“As the industry grows with advances in technology, firefighting and rescue operations become more complicated and challenging, thus the need to train and equip our personnel with the knowledge and skills to match with the emerging technologies in both fire and marine operations in order to handle such challenges once they occur at the airport,” he said.
Mr. Bamwesigye assured stakeholders that the Authority will continue to invest in research, equipment and staff training to meet with the required safety, security, response timelines and Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) as stipulated by the International Civil Organization (ICAO).
UCAA has previously acquired new firefighting boats and other equipment, and regularly trained and equipped staff with skills in water firefighting and rescue missions.
The Director Airports and Aviation Security, Eng. Sooma Ayub, assured guests that the airport was currently equipped with the required professional personnel and modern equipment to respond to any emergency. He appreciated efforts from stakeholders including the Uganda Peoples Defense Air Forces, UPDF Marine, Uganda Police, hospitals, Uganda Red Cross Society, the Airline Operators Committee, and other airport stakeholders for the continued support during emergency exercises and sharing of reports to maintain safe, secure, and efficient airport operations.