The Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service has commissioned four new airport rescue and firefighting crash vehicles.

Michael Weeks, the Minister of National Security, made the announcement during the House of Assembly.

The Rosenbauer Panther airport rescue and firefighting crash tenders are for deployment at LF Wade International Airport.

Mr Weeks said: “These vehicles have been received, the required training and familiarisation have been completed and the new fleet is now in operational service.

“This is a significant milestone for the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service, for airport operations and for public safety more broadly.

“Ensuring that the airport is supported by a strong, reliable and properly equipped airport rescue and firefighting capability is therefore not optional; it is essential.

“The commissioning of these four new crash tenders renews a critical front line asset and replaces ageing specialist vehicles with modern appliances designed specifically for the airport emergency response environment.”

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Mr Weeks said that the previous vehicles had reached the end of their useful service life and were becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.

He described the Rosenbauer Panther as “a highly specialised” vehicle.

“It is designed to support rapid response, effective firefighting performance and operational reliability in circumstances where seconds matter.

“In an airport emergency, speed, coordination and capability are essential.

“These vehicles are built to deliver high extinguishing performance, support safe incident management and enable firefighters to respond quickly and effectively to aircraft-related incidents.”