The $70,000 compressor, funded by the Queenstown Airport Corporation for its own fire team, is the backup supply service for Fire and Emergency NZ in the Wakatipu Basin.
It was used to refill breathing apparatus when more than 30 volunteer firefighters from the Queenstown, Frankton and Arrowtown stations responded to a large fire in the workshop at Macaulay Motors in Grants Rd on Monday, May 20.
The compressor is the first in Queenstown and has been operating since Christmas.
Before its installation, the only other compressor was in Alexandra, where a supply truck with extra cylinders on board would do the trip to Queenstown during an emergency.
Rescue fire crew chief at the airport Royden Cullimore said the airport compressor could refill four cylinders every 20 minutes, meaning refills could be done in the time it took for the Alexandra supplies to arrive.
''We started filling them up and then when someone was available, they would come and pick them up.
''We just kept doing that until they finished.
''The ability to replenish all of our equipment and have it back operational within 20 to 30 minutes makes the whole community safe at all times.''
The new compressor also meant brigades from Wanaka, Arrowtown, Frankton and Queenstown, all of whom train at the airport, could have more regular training sessions, Mr Cullimore said.
