Boston’s airport management is set to run a simulation of an aircraft crash incident, which is a mandated requirement to ensure the airport’s emergency response teams to ensure the responders are well coordinated and capable of performing the required tasks in various situations efficiently and in a safe manner.
The simulation will be performed on a full scale and will be one of the largest emergency drills performed at the airport.
In the unlikely event of an airplane crash
An emergency drill event scheduled for Friday, September 20th, will see the management of Boston Logan International Airport
(BOS) run a full-scale simulation of an aircraft crash on the runway. According to reports from CBS, the simulation will involve 150 people acting as crash victims, and the airport’s first responders will practice triaging and rescuing the passengers from the crash site.
As part of the drill, the response team will also have to extinguish a fire. Such simulations are conducted to ensure that various units of the response team are capable of coordinating with relevant team members and ensuring efficient communication and operations to ensure the best possible outcomes during a real-life situation.
The emergency response teams will include Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and the Boston Fire Department, but also larger entities such as the Massachusetts State Police and the United States Coast Guard.
Reportedly, people living in the area could possibly see a Coast Guard boat.
Mandate by the FAA, once every three years
The US Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) mandates these simulations, which require airports to carry them out once every three years. The simulations evaluate the coordination, communication, and response of the relevant emergency responders in various situations.
According to the FAA’s part 139 “Cert Alert” document, the purpose is for the airport to
identify the involvement of relevant parties within the Airport Emergency Plan (AEP)
and ensure each party has their roles and responsibilities designated and is coordinating with each other during a planned exercise. Parties involved can include:
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Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) |
Law Enforcement |
Airport Tenants |
|
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Airlines |
EMS |
Media |
Hospitals |
Photo: Peter Titmuss | Shutterstock
As per the FAA document, performing such simulated exercises, apart from ensuring readiness, the airport management can,
- Confirm the functionality and effectiveness of plans and procedures under controlled conditions and make changes as needed.
- Improve emergency responder confidence in the AEP, as well as increase familiarity with the facility and resources.
Portland Jetport recently did their simulation
Another airport that recently performed its mandatory simulation exercise is the Portland International Jetport
(PWM), which simulated an airplane crash earlier this month. In this instance, the airport had several volunteers play passengers and utilized a bus to simulate the interior of an aircraft.
However, in the exercise done at PWM, the airport also simulated an emergency water landing, with the US Coast Guard rescuing water dummies.
For the purpose of evaluating the complete scenario, reports from FOX23 state that some of the volunteer “patients” were even transported to the hospital from the jetport, thus ensuring in the unlikely event of an actual aircraft crash. By doing so, the airport management can ensure its AEP and communication channels are functioning how they are meant to.