Friedman Memorial Airport’s Triennial Live Drill
Saturday June 10, 2017
8:00am until 12:00pm
Every 36 months (three years), the FAA requires Friedman Memorial Airport to test its full-scale emergency response plan. This exercise is designed to test the emergency capabilities of all surrounding emergency responders (including hospitals and other medical facilities) in the event of a large-scale airport emergency, such as a plane crash.
Beyond providing us a chance to see the capabilities of the other agencies, this drill will give FMA the opportunity to learn what our role will be in an emergency and better understand the specific areas where we need to focus.
The process of the drill will be as follows: When the emergency call goes out, FMA will be the first responder on scene with the airport fire truck. We will provide a description of the accident scene, extinguish some of the small fires that will be burning (for practice), and advise other agencies on how best to access the location of the accident. Some airport staff will serve as part of the incident command, as well. We will have to practice getting information to and from the FAA efficiently and help gather additional resources.
The drill will begin at 9 a.m. and last approximately three hours. To eliminate any impact on FMA’s daily operations, the drill will be conducted at section #2 apron where the new Atlantic Aviation hanger is being built.
