Cape Cod Airport To Hold Crash Response Training

HYANNIS, MA — If you see sirens and emergency officials at Cape Cod Gatway Airport on Sept. 28, there's likely not an emergency going on. Airport and emergency officials will conduct in depth safety drills on airport grounds at 5 p.m.

The exercise will simulate a mock scenario of a plane crash. Actual aircraft will not be used in the drill, but local fire departments will set training fires and use other simulations to test the airport's emergency response plan.

Officials with police, fire, Cape Cod and Falmouth hospitals, the U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Aviation Administration, Massachusetts Department of Transportation-Aeronautics Division, airlines, American Red Cross, Emergency Management, and other Cape Cod towns will all play a role in the exercise.

"Full-scale exercises are important component in ensuring the safety of the traveling public," Hyannis Fire Chief Peter Burke said. "Exercises also provide an opportunity to test response plans that may be used during various types of emergencies, ensuring that the exercise has cross-cutting value. We appreciate the efforts and assistance of all agencies involved,” said Chief Peter Burke, Hyannis Fire. "

Training stations will be part of the drill allowing emergency officials to respond to various simulations as part of the drill. This includes testing multiagency coordination and the workings of an incident command system, responding to live fires, answering the needs of family and friends of victims involved in the mock crash and simulating transport and medical care both onsite and at Cape Cod Hospital.

Depending on COVID-19 restrictions, volunteers will also be on hand to play the roles of crash victims.

"The Federal Aviation Administration requires us to stage a full scale drill every three years, said Cape Cod Gateway Airport Manager Katie Servis. "The ultimate goal of the exercise is to identify improvements to be made to our emergency response should a real disaster ever happen at the airport. Both strengths and weaknesses of the response will be noted and an evaluation team on hand to monitor and critique the exercise. The exercise tests multiagency coordination and response implementing use of the resources from its surrounding communities."

The Airport will remain open to scheduled and charter operations during this
exercise.

For further drill information, please contact the airport manager’s office at 508 775-
2020 or kservis@flyhya.com.