Editor’s note: This is the first in a three-part series on the latest activities at the Delta Regional Airport at Colt.
COLT — The Delta Regional Airport Authority at Colt is working to install a fire protection system.
DRAA chairman Shannon Hobbs gave an update to the board last week on the project, which is seeking funding during the 2024-2025 grant cycle.
“We’ll have an emergency set on it for in case we lose power to the site and we need to fight a fire or something like that. We will be able to have that protection in place,” Hobbs said. “It will also include the infrastructure connecting it to all the circuits that are there at the airport to tie into.
“We may borrow some credits from some surrounding airports that are not utilizing them,” Hobbs added. “We’ll work through that as we get it, but if we do get these credits, we will have to repay them. … Depending on how many we use that could be anywhere between $150,000 and $350,000, somewhere in that range.”
Hobbs said the system will allow the airport to fight some fires on its own instead of having to rely on the City of Colt. However, he said the airport would train with local departments in order to do so.
“Right now, we have to bring in some water from the City of Colt. We would really be relying on them guys,” he said. “This would give us a little bit more autonomy to be able to provide for an event, but we would definitely want to share with the City of Colt. By sharing with the City of Colt, that’s a good thing because you’re actually circulating your pumps.
“If we did have an event, which unfortunately is going to happen at some point in time, we want to be ready,” he added. “We may work some exercise out and pair with Wynne and Forrest City at some point to kind of have a plan in place so, when that untimely event happens one day, we’re prepared.”
Hobbs noted the system was part of the original plans for the airport.
“That project actually stems back from the original construction probably over 12 to 14 years ago,” he said. “It was part of the original layout plan, but due to federal funding cuts at that time, that was one of the parts that we had to ax out of it. This will just be a completion of the original project basically.
“During a lot of my discussions with the federal agency, they know that this was in the original plan,” Hobbs added. “They know we are still short on this so this is giving us some leeway as far as getting it in here.”
In other news, the board received an update on fuel sales, hangar construction, and the automated weather observing system from Hobbs, welcomed new member Brenda White of Forrest City, and tabled minutes from the previous meeting due to some questions.
