Holmfirth-based Rosenbauer (www.rosenbauer.co.uk) UK’s links with Ireland have taken off after the firm announced that it will supply Belfast International Airport (BIA) and Shannon Airport with a fleet of high-tech vehicles worth over £3 million.

Belfast and Shannon will be the first Irish airports to upgrade their fleets of fire engines to the new Rosenbauer Panther vehicles in 2018.

The Panthers are powered by 750hp engines and have thermal-imaging cameras to help firefighters identify the hottest part of the aircraft during an emergency.

The vehicles also include the Rosenbauer Stinger high-reach extendable turret, which can deliver 6,000 litres of water and foam per min over a distance of more than 90m.

It can also inject 1,000 litres of water or foam per min into the cockpit via its piercing tool. The Panthers come equipped with the latest roll stability control software to ensure maximum safety for the crew when travelling to incidents at high speed.

Mark Bothwell, chief fire officer at BIA, said: “The introduction of these appliances not only complements our existing fleet,but also represents a significant investment in safety and our firefighting capability.”