Three agencies join forces to bring fire service to Hela

A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding [MOU] has been signed to establish Hela’s first permanent emergency fire response service in Tari.

The agreement, signed between the Hela Provincial Government [HPG], the National Airports Corporation [NAC], and the Papua New Guinea Fire Service [PNGFS], will see the province receive its first dedicated fire truck.

The new station will provide critical fire and emergency coverage for Tari airport and township, local commercial centers, and surrounding communities.

Hela Governor Philip Undialu welcomed the signing, stating that it is an essential step towards protecting the province’s major infrastructure boom and increasing air traffic.

Tari Airport currently handles up to 12 flights a week.

“NAC, the National Government, and private investors have poured hundreds of millions of kina into public and private infrastructure across Hela,” Undialu said.

“Establishing a permanent fire service is essential to protecting these investments and creating greater confidence for future development.”

Under the terms of the MoU: representatives from HPG, NAC, and PNGFS will conduct a site inspection within 60 days to finalize designs for the permanent fire station; the PNGFS will deploy a Commanding Officer to be stationed in Tari to direct local emergency operations once active; and, all three entities will jointly co-fund and develop the necessary fire service infrastructure.

Signatories to the agreement included NAC board chairman Jacob Anga, acting managing director Dominic Kaumi, PNGFS representative Commander Bill Hoo, governor Undialu, and Hela provincial administrator Ronny Angu.

Undialu extended his appreciation to the partner agencies, saying that the multi-agency framework serves as a benchmark for government collaboration aimed at building a safer and more resilient Hela.