Airport emergency tests services’ skills
A SIMULATED disaster tested the abilities of our emergency services who had to respond to a plane crash with multiple casualties.
The mock incident unfolded at Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport with 20 actors taking on the roles of passengers suffering life-threatening injuries.
Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport general manager Sara Hales said the simulated incident was a “rejected take-off” where an aircraft had blown a tyre causing it to run off the runway, into a fence and then burst into flames.
“It is important to model a situation that really could happen one day, it has happened elsewhere in the world, to make sure that we are really ready because safety is absolutely our number one commitment,” Ms Hales said.
She said the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, Queensland Ambulance Service, Queensland Police Service, Queensland Department of Health as well as airport and Wagners Corporation team members were involved.
“It is really important that the airport team and emergency services personnel are able to work seamlessly together if there was ever an emergency situation,” she said.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Acting Superintendent Peter Braddow said he would be able to determine what crews did well and not so well and it would ultimately help the service improve on its response to incidents.
“For crews, they train daily, but it is not very often we get large exercises where we can run jointly and the importance of that is to ensure that all emergency services are working at their premium to ensure the best outcome for the community,” Act Supt Braddow said.
The exercise is mandated by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.