First responders and emergency response agencies rallied at the Salina Regional Airport Tuesday afternoon and participated in a full-scale emergency exercise.
Salina Airport Authority Executive Pieter Miller told KSAL News the event was designed to test the Airport Emergency Plan and provide participating agencies an opportunity to practice their response to a simulated emergencies.
The exercise will involve emergency vehicles, personnel, equipment and simulated emergency activity on airport property. Miller says there were three scenarios that played out including a 50 passenger jet crashing, someone trying to pass through TSA with a weapon, and a drone intrusion into airport airspace.
Participating organizations included:
- Saline County Emergency Management
- Salina Regional Health Center
- Salina Fire Department
- Salina Police Department
- Saline County Sheriff’s Department
- Central Kansas Mental Health
- K-State Salina
- SkyWest Airlines
- Transportation Security Administration
- Salvation Army
Full-scale emergency exercises are an important component of the airport’s emergency preparedness program and are required periodically for airports certificated under Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 139 regulations. The exercise allows airport staff and community response agencies to evaluate communication, coordination, incident command, emergency response procedures and other elements of the Airport Emergency Plan in a realistic environment.
Photos by Tanner Colvin
