Oshkosh Airport Products, LLC, an Oshkosh Corporation Company, announced the Yellowknife Airport (YZF), located in Canada’s Northwest Territories, has taken delivery of an Oshkosh Airport Products Striker 6x6 ARFF vehicle.
Sold through dealer Commercial Emergency Equipment Co. and delivered in late December 2021, the new ARFF truck will support the completion of a fleet renewal for emergency services at the Yellowknife Airport. Post-delivery inspection and extensive training have begun in preparation for the vehicle to join the front line service in early 2022.
Quality and service
“We looked at a lot of ARFF vehicles and contacted many airport fire service representatives, and those with Strikers all spoke highly of Oshkosh’s reputation and quality,” said Randy Straker, regional airport manager with Yellowknife Airport.
“In our location, winter arrives in October and doesn’t leave until mid-April, making a strong service partner essential to our operation. We’ve found Oshkosh Airport Products and Commercial fantastic in the way they take care of their customers, and we are confident we’ll have access to the critical parts and service support needed in the years ahead.”
Striker 6x6 ARFF vehicle
Features of Yellowknife Airport’s Striker 6x6 ARFF vehicle:
- Duetz 2015 V8 697 HP Tier 4 final engine
- 50-foot (15.2 meters) Snozzle® High Reach Extendable Turret (HRET) with FLIR camera, color camera, and piercing nozzle
- High-volume low attack HVLA turret
- Water capacity: 3,170 gallons (12,000 liters)
- Foam capacity: 420 gallons (1,590 liters)
- Dry chemical capacity: 550 Ibs (250 kg)
- Eco-EFP™ Foam Measurement System
- Central Tire Inflation (CTI) System
Factors to consider
Extreme cold weather, rough and soft terrain, and remote location made dependability and service support key factors"
“The temperature the day we delivered the new Striker 6x6 ARFF vehicle was -38.2 F (-39 C),” said Darren Daviduck, apparatus specialist – fire and emergency with Commercial Emergency Equipment Co.
“Extreme cold weather conditions as low as -60 F (-51.2 C), rough and soft terrain and the remote location made dependability and service support key factors for the Yellowknife Airport team. We appreciate their collaboration and the confidence they’ve placed in our apparatus specialists.”
Emergency services
Yellowknife is the capital city of Canada’s Northwest Territories and lies on the shore of Great Slave Lake. The Yellowknife Airport offers passenger and freight services with over 500,000 passengers yearly. Funding for the new Striker 6x6 ARFF vehicle was obtained through Transport Canada’s Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP), which supports funding improvement projects for smaller regional airports, including improving regional airport safety.
Straker added, “Many smaller airports depend on the support of ACAP to assist with renewing their emergency services fleet. They have been an incredible resource, and we are grateful for the funding which has allowed us to purchase the crucial equipment we wouldn’t otherwise be able to obtain.”
