Airport rescue service responsibility declined

Press, 9 October 1987, Page 5

Airport rescue service responsibility declined

The Christchurch Airport Authority will not accept responsibility for the airport’s rescue fire service until it knows what standards will have to be met. The Ministry of Transport wanted the authority — the Christchurch City Council - to take over fire rescue from October 1, this year. But the airport director, Mr Hugh McCarroll, has told the Ministry that the authority could not accept responsibility for such a big undertaking at such short notice. Yesterday the council’s airport committee endorsed his stan<L A more reasonable date for the transftfc of re-

sponsibility would be when the planned changes to the landing charges system — possibly April 1, 1988. The rescue service costs about $2 million a year. The question of responsibility for the service arose with changes to aerodrome licence requirements. The Ministry wants the licensee — the council — to be responsible for control of birds, the emergency plan and the fire rescue service. The airport committee is happy to accept responsibility for bird control and emergency on ganisatlon. The council* has run a bird controF

programme since 1985. The estimated cost of running an emergency organisation is $ll,OOO to $15,000 a year. Mr McCarroll reported that Civil Aviation would set a standard for rescue services that could vary from airport to airport but which would have a minimum requirement Until that standard was set the airport authority could not decide how it would manage the service, Mr McCarroll said. It could run the. service itself or pay the Airways Corporation to provide it The corporation had indicated it would this until alternative adpmgemeats were made.w