Airport Emergency Exercise Successfully Held
The LF Wade International Airport held a successful emergency exercise simulation last night [Jan 30], with multiple on island agencies participating.
The exercise was designed to test the airport’s emergency plans, with various governmental and non-governmental agencies on hand to participate in the exercise. The event was a simulation of an oil spill, which occurred when an airline diverted to the island with a medical emergency.
More than 100 actors participated as passengers on board the JetBlue aircraft, during the exercise. Once the simulated emergency was called, the Emergency Communication Centre [ECC], consisting of Skyport, Bermuda Fire and Rescue [BFRS], Police, Airline and other representatives, was put into action to test how its members would react in a real crisis.
BFRS were on hand to simulate preventing the oil spill from turning into a fire, which was achieved successfully. All passengers disembarked the aircraft with a few minor simulated injuries.
According to Skyport, the entire exercise took approximately two hours, and all key airport agencies and emergency services responded promptly, as they would in an actual emergency.
Aaron Adderley, President, Skyport, says: “It’s important for us to conduct these exercises not only as part of our international regulatory requirements, but also to ensure our emergency response capabilities are up to par. We must be able to respond effectively in the event of an emergency. We would like to thank everyone who participated and the public for their cooperation.”
