A MAINTENANCE CONTROLLER REPORTS ABOUT THE CONFUSION OF WHICH SERIES OF A319'S HAVE AND DO NOT HAVE H2O PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS ON BOARD AND THEREFORE REQUIRE TWO HALON EXTINGUISHERS TO SATISFY THE MAINTENANCE RELEASE.

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WORKING AS A MAINT CTLR ON NOV/XA/08; I RECEIVED A CALL FROM AN AIRLINE MECH WHO COMPLETED HIS ASSIGNED CHK ON ACFT. HE FOUND 1 PORTABLE HALON FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO BE OUT OF DATE (SVCABLE TIME LIMIT EXPIRED). AFTER REVIEWING THE MEL I FELT THE ACFT COULD BE LEGALLY DISPATCHED UNDER MEL 26-26. THIS STATES THAT 4 PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS ARE REQUIRED FOR DISPATCH: 1 ON THE FLT DECK; 3 IN THE PAX COMPARTMENT; 2 OF WHICH MUST BE HALON; 1 MUST BE H2O. I ASKED THE MECH IF WE MET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE MEL. AT THAT TIME HE SAID WE DID AND I ISSUED THE MEL FOR HAVING 1 PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHER MISSING/UNSVCABLE. ON NOV/XA/08 NIGHT AT APPROX XA50; I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE OUTBOUND FLT CREW AND DISPATCHER ASSIGNED TO ACFT X PREPARING TO DEPART FROM ZZZ. THEY WERE QUESTIONING THE USE OF MEL 26-26-24A FOR THIS ACFT. THE FLT CREW EXPLAINED THAT THIS SERIES OF AIRBUS ACFT DO NOT HAVE AN H2O PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHER ON BOARD. THE CABIN CREW (FLT ATTENDANTS ASSIGNED TO THE FLT) LOOKED FOR AND COULD NOT FIND AN H20 PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHER THUS NOTIFYING THE PIC. I THEN REFERENCED THE CHK JOB CARD; KNOWING THAT THE EMER EQUIP IS CHKED ONCE A WK TO CONFIRM THE EXPIRATION DATE AND CONTENT OF THE CABIN EMER EQUIP. THIS IS WHERE I VERIFIED THE CAPT'S CONCERN THAT AN H20 PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHER IS NOT INSTALLED ON THIS SERIES OF AIRBUS ACFT. AT THAT POINT I CONTACTED MAINT AND ASKED THEM TO CHK STOCK FOR A PORTABLE HALON FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THEY HAD THE ONE IN STOCK THAT WAS REQUIRED FOR THAT SERIES OF ACFT. IT WAS INSTALLED; IN PLACE OF THE MISSING UNIT AND THE MEL CLEARED. THE ACFT WAS THEN RELEASED FOR FLT WITHIN 20 MINS OF ITS SCHEDULED DEP TIME FROM ZZZ. THIS MAY HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY INCLUDING A NOTE TO RESTRICT THE MEL OR BY REQUIRING THE SAME FLEET TYPES TO CARRY THE SAME EMER EQUIP ON BOARD. AT THIS TIME OUR MECHS SEE A MIX SERIES OF THE SAME FLEET TYPE OF AIRBUS ACFT AT ANY GIVEN NIGHT. A MISTAKE LIKE THIS; EVEN THOUGH IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED TO BE A COMPLACENT ERROR; IS EASILY MADE GIVEN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.