By Denise Blaz
Abilene Reporter-News
ABILENE, Texas — Putting their skills and agency coordination to the test, police and fire crews arrived at the scene of a simulated airplane crash at Abilene Regional Airport on Wednesday morning that included supposedly injured passengers strewed on the runway.
In the scenario, a passenger plane departed the airport, lost an engine and crashed upon return after hitting a tug on the runway. The aircraft cracked open, theoretically, and spilled passengers on the runway.
The drill is performed every three years as a part of a full-scale exercise of the airport’s emergency plan.
The Federal Aviation Administration requires air- carrier airports conduct the exercise to maintain certification to land commercial aircraft.
Between drill years, the airport conducts annual planning meetings with local first responders to go over the emergency plan.
A teeming number of “bloodied” teenagers were tended to by paramedics as a part of the drill.
Triage tags were put on patients to determine who needed the most assistance, and fire crews got to work spreading foam to put out any spot fires.
Elaborate makeup made the cuts and scrapes seem real. One patient even had a fake, open stomach injury, exposing her intestines. During the exercise, one woman was transported to Hendrick Medical Center and another woman was transported by ambulance to Abilene Regional Medical Center.
“We train with the airport periodically because we’re built to support them,” said Abilene Fire Department Lt. Greg Goettsch, department spokesman, about the exercise.
Goettsch said the Wednesday demonstration called for the bare minimum of what kind of equipment the AFD would respond with in the event of a similar incident.
Two fire engines, a ladder truck, a battalion chief and a brush truck would be dispatched if there is an emergency at the airport, he said.
In the case of a fire or fuel leak, he said, the department is equipped to send more crews out.
Don Green, director of Abilene’s airport, said the drill was successful. First responders quickly attended to patients during the simulation, he said.
“These first responders do this every day, they’re making runs on emergencies every day,” he said. “Their capabilities have been tested and we’ve had an efficient response. “
Copyright 2012 The E.W. Scripps Company
All Rights Reserved