By Julia Zaher
Flint Journal (Michigan)
Copyright 2007 Flint Journal
All Rights Reserved
GENESEE COUNTY, Mich. — In the drizzling rain and cold firefighters, police and paramedics from throughout Genesee County responded to a fiery runway crash at Flint’s Bishop Airport, including those from Grand Blanc and Mundy Townships.
Fortunately the burning plane fuselage and dozens of bleeding victims on Wednesday were all part of a live disaster drill, not an actual emergency. It took place on airport grounds but far from actual runways.
“This is required by FAA certification, that we test our emergency plan every three years live,” said deputy airport director Mike Trout.
In this scenario two 50-passenger planes crashed as one was taxiing and the other was landing. A small red plane fuselage that was set ablaze is owned by the state and was purchased specifically for training exercises. A smaller white plane used in the simulation is owned by Bishop and is used for rescue practice.
“The importance of the drill is so we can all see what each other’s capabilities are in a real emergency,” saud Grace Ranger, director of Genesee County Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
It’s not often that the various police and fire departments throughout the county are called to work together on a major catastrophe. Emergency Management conducts a simulated emergency situation of some kind every year.
Students from Genesee Area Skill Center covered in fake blood played the roles of injured crash victims. Some of the “survivors” passed through a decontamination tent manned by members of the county’s hazardous materials team to be cleansed of imaginary jet fuel.
“If they go to the hospital without being decontaminated it could close the emergency room,” said Grand Blanc Township police Sgt. Rick Witham, a member of the HAZMAT team. The team also contained a fake fuel spill.
This is the first time a new 58-foot CBRNE truck and trailer purchased with a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was used in the drill. CBRNE stands for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives - all of the major emergencies the HAZMAT team is trained to handle. The truck went into use in April.
Mundy Township Fire Chief Toney Romans said his department would be one of the first in the area called to the airport in the event of a major disaster along with Flint Township and city firefighters.
“It means quite a bit,” he said of the exercise. “It gives my people a chance to be exposed to working around an aircraft. We don’t do that every day.”
Seven of the 33 members of the Mundy Township fire department were on hand. So were members of Amateur Radio Emergency Services. The licensed ham radio operators, all volunteers, have long been an important component of the county’s emergency response system.
“We provide a lot of point-to-point traffic. In emergencies existing communication systems can be overwhelmed quickly,” said Randy Bond, a licensed radio operator.
Emergency responders will be evaluating their performance during the live disaster drill and looking for what worked well and areas in need of improvement.
“On any given day something can happen. Our job is to be prepared,” said Chief Christopher Miller, Bishop International Airport director of public safety.