Airports OGG Hosts Tahiti Firefighters for Live Fire Training By: Jai Cunningham
took just five to get to Hawaii.
And for our firefighters it was a win to train alongside partners from Polynesia and form an alliance that could be beneficial in times of natural disasters. This March’s training was so successful we plan on hosting the Tahitians in the future, making this a biennial event. The crews from Tahiti need to be certified every two years.
It’s a partnership made in Polynesia. In early March, 12 firefighters from Tahiti ventured to Maui for five days of live fire training at Kahului Airport (OGG). It was a first of its kind event. Alongside OGG Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighters (ARFF) the crews extinguished numerous live fire events. They also participated in systematic search patterns for victims for removal from a mock fuselage. It was a great opportunity for the crew from Tahiti because they usually travel all the way to Paris every three years for the exact same training. So instead of 18 hours of travel to France, it
There was also the challenge of working between English and French, but there was a regional trainer on hand who could translate for the Tahitian Fire Fighters. And did you know Tahiti has 46 regional airports, with four of them internationally certified. Things got really heated at OGG, but we’re fortunate to have such professionals dedicated to serving our airports!
KOA, OGG and LIH Named Best U.S. Airports for Avoiding Flight Delays and Cancellations Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole, Maui International Airport and Lihue Airport was named best small airports by Travel + Leisure, citing lowest rates of major arrival and departure delays and cancellations. Read the article here. PAGE 6
