DeKalb is buying a new firefighting vehicle that will allow larger aircraft to use DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport (DTMA).

The truck, a 2000 E-1 Titan Airport Rescue and Firefighting Vehicle (ARFF), is equipped to respond to emergencies involving aircraft. Tom Cleveland, DTMA’s manager, said the truck may also be used if the fire department must respond to train crashes or other fuel-spill emergencies.

“It’s carrying foam,” Cleveland said. “It’s mainly to put out fuel fires.”

Cleveland said the airport’s ability to handle larger airplanes means NIU will be able to send athletes out or bring in opposing teams through DTMA rather than busing them to Chicago or Rockford.

Ricardo Patton, NIU men’s basketball coach, said it would be a benefit to use the DeKalb airport, because it could help the student-athletes miss fewer classes.

“Travel days because of the distance to Chicago, you have to take [student-athletes] out early,” Patton said. “[Flying out of DeKalb] would allow us to practice at our own arena because we could possibly leave later.”

The truck has one of three actions – including lengthening a runway and installing a full instrument landing system – DTMA needs to take to secure Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 139 certification. Once in place, Cleveland said the airport will be subject to a higher safety standard and more frequent inspections by the FAA.

“It will be a limited commercial airport,” he said.

Cleveland brought plans for purchasing the new truck to the city council March 24 and received approval to go through with the purchase. In a March 5 e-mail to Cleveland, Kenneth Taira of the FAA said the agency will work with DTMA to get the certification process done by August 2008 – just in time for football season.

Cleveland said fees charged for using the airport will cover the cost of manning the ARFF before and after landings.