CPA’s Salas to receive federal award

The Federal Aviation Administration has selected Commonwealth Ports Authority executive director Carlos Salas as an award recipient for his support of airport improvement projects.

Stanley C. Torres, acting airport manager and aircraft rescue and firefighting chief, said FAA officials from Hawaii would travel to the CNMI on July 8 to present the Airports Partnership Award to Salas.

Torres said the award was announced in the FAA Western Pacific Region Conference in Anaheim on June 3. CPA was not able to send any representative to the gathering, as Salas had to go with the CNMI delegation to Tokyo to talk to Japan Airlines regarding the carrier’s planned pullout from Saipan.

“The CPA is being recognized for its leadership in the accomplishment of several outstanding partnership initiatives in support of FAA in our efforts to enhance safety by improving airport infrastructure and emergency response capabilities throughout Micronesia,” according to the FAA.

For his part, Salas said the credit should go to the CPA staff, whose efforts made the projects happen.

FAA cited the following CPA-initiated projects as bases for the award:

• CPA has established the Pacific Region Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Training Academy at Saipan International Airport, the first certified ARFF training academy to be established in the western Pacific region.

• Even prior to establishing the Pacific Region ARFF Training Academy, CPA was providing firefighters from the Micronesia airports with initial and recurrent ARFF training.

• CPA has sent their ARFF trainers to Micronesia airports to conduct on-site training for airport firefighters, and mutual aid firefighters, in ARFF operations, tactics, and procedures.

• For the past two years, CPA has assisted the FAA Micronesia Technical Assistance Program in conducting airport emergency preparedness, incident command system, and table top training in preparation fro full-scale emergency disaster drills at Micronesia airports.

• Through a memorandum of agreement, crafted by CPA, it is taking the lead in management of a large ARFF vehicle acquisition contract that will provide ARFF vehicles and equipment for all the Micronesian airports.

• Also, through the agreement, CPA will be providing assistance to the Micronesia airports in the administration of the airport improvement program.

• During the 2005 Pacific Aviation Directors Workshop, CPA assisted the Honolulu Airports District Office in conducting an “AIP Next Steps” training session for the Micronesia airport representatives. (Agnes E. Donato)