A full-scale disaster response exercise that takes place every three years happened at Tallahassee International Airport Feb. 19. Airport staff coordinated with multiple City departments, including the Tallahassee Police Department, Fire Department, as well as Leon County EMS and the Sheriff’s Office to conduct the life-like training.
Community partners including the Big Bend Healthcare Coalition, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, Florida State University Emergency Management and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement were onsite to participate. The practice featured a plane that caught on fire, requiring firefighters to control the blaze and rescue victims to be treated by EMS.
The Federal Aviation Administration requires TFD and others to renew its certification to ensure first responders are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to respond to a crisis at the airport every three years. It’s “important for anybody that’s traveling in and out of Tallahassee International Airport (to know) they are well taken care of and they have the best equipment available and the best trained people,” TFD special operations chief Allen Willis said.
The field, next to the Aero Center Hangar, featured the model of the front of an airplane which was set on fire next to gas tankers. There was an overturned car in a field, a tractor and a number of suitcases strown about, seemingly fallen from the plane, with victims next to them.
Once the exercise began and an aircraft was set ablaze, a number of specialized firefighter truck designed for chemical fires jumped into action. Once the blaze was controlled nearly 20 firefighters jumped into the field assessing injuries, counting out the volunteers who were playing dead and escorting people to safety.
A call-out was placed on social media by Florida State University, Emergency Management to community members for any one who would like to serve as the victim or a victim’s family or friend. Volunteers from the community ranging in ages stepped up to the plate and arrived early in the morning to receive special effects makeup mimicking injuries.
Each volunteer was given a script for their role in the simulation, as mentioned some were those injured, others roamed around calling for family or friends. “We have to lean on the public and also it gives it a good a view into the day in life and the way we operate as an organization and as a city,” Willis said. “They’re also well informed on how we do it and how well prepared we are. They can be at ease as well if they were traveling in and out of the city.”
TMH held an internal training congruent to the training at the airport. Emergency medical personnel simulated an influx of patients that would have been transported from the scene of the disaster to the hospital.
“By participating in countywide Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) exercises, TMH ensures our teams are prepared to respond rapidly and collaborate effectively with first responders and emergency management agencies during real disasters,” a TMH spokesperson said.
“Mass casualty incidents can quickly overwhelm a hospital’s medical system, creating a sudden surge of patients that exceeds normal capacity. Exercises like the one on February 19 enable our emergency, trauma and safety teams to test and enhance their ability to expand resources, streamline patient flow, and manage a high volume of critical cases.”
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee airport disaster exercise tests emergency response