Board wants city to station firetruck at Cape airport

Cape Girardeau Regional Airport advisory board members want the city to station a firetruck at the airport for rescue and fire emergencies.

Board members previously suggested a fire station to be built at the airport, but the idea has yet to move forward.

The city's capital-improvements plan lists an airport fire station/maintenance facility among possible future, unscheduled projects. Such a facility would cost more than $1 million, according to the capital-improvements plan.

But advisory board members said Tuesday they would settle for having a firetruck stationed permanently at the airport.

While the board took no formal action, board members said the issue will be brought up for a formal vote at next month's meeting.

Board chairman Robert Cork suggested the city needs to cross-train airport staff to operate the firetruck.

Board member Robin Cole said cross training would allow airport staff to respond to a fire until regular firefighters arrive.

Fire station 2, at Mount Auburn and Bloomfield roads, currently houses an aging firetruck the fire department uses solely for airport emergencies, airport manager Bruce Loy said. The truck is more than 20 years old, he said.

The city plans to buy a new, $325,000 firetruck. Delivery of the truck would take about a year, Loy said, explaining firetrucks are custom made. Federal funding would pay most of the cost.

Board member Justin Albright said stationing a firetruck at the airport would change how the airport is classified and may result in more aviation traffic.

Federal regulations prohibit airplanes with 30 or more seats from landing at airports that are not equipped with permanently stationed fire or rescue trucks without prior notice, Albright said.

"We have documented cases of airplanes not coming here," Albright said after the meeting.

Albright said similar-type airports in the Marion/Carbondale, Illinois, area and at Paducah, Kentucky, have fire equipment stationed on site.

In other business, board members reviewed but took no action on a list of possible improvement projects that could be funded with money from increased landing fees.

The board earlier this year recommended construction of a $30,000 public observation deck at the airport. The city council nixed the idea.

Board members are looking at what other improvements could be funded with that money.

Possible improvements include an updated front lobby for Cape Aviation, recliners for the pilots' lounge, construction of a welcome center in the airport terminal, new furniture for the terminal lobby and upgrading landscaping. It is envisioned the proposed welcome center would have a flat-screen monitor that would provide restaurant, hotel and taxi information continuously for visitors,

Loy said landing-fee revenue also could be used to repair airport hangars.

A total of 14 improvement items have been suggested, but Loy said the city does not have the funding to undertake all the projects.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

Pertinent address:

Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, Scott City, Mo.