Westside : FIREFIGHTING BOOST

It may come as small comfort to people who fear flying that Los Angeles International Airport will have three new aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicles. The Board of Airport Commissioners approved the purchase Tuesday.

The new rigs feature boom arms with drills on the end to bore through the sides of a burning airplane and spray the inside with foam. The booms will have television cameras attached so that firefighters can see what is happening. The Los Angeles Fire Department expects to get the high-tech trucks in 1997, and will then have six rescue vehicles at LAX’s main fire station. Three of the older trucks will be retired and used mainly for training purposes, said Battalion Chief Mike Reagan.

Each of the new trucks costs about $500,000, Reagan said.