Airport to host emergency exercise today

Dayton International Airport officials will conduct a simulated crisis from 8 a.m. to noon today as part of a fullscale emergency exercise.

Every year, the airport (DAY) conducts a table-top exercise that discusses what role each department or supporting partner will play during a mass casualty event.

“The full-scale exercise, conducted every three years as required by the Federal Aviation Administration, will evaluate the effectiveness of DAY’s emergency plan and its ability to respond to a major incident,” according to www.flydayton.com.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires the simulation as part of its primary mission to ensure the safety of civil aviation.

“There will be about 40-50 airport employees involved in this simulation,” explained airport employee Bruce Bales.

The airport’s aviation, fire and police departments will be joined by emergency response agencies and volunteers in the exercise to test EMS/medical response, Command Post operations and communications.

“It is an airport exercise, but we will also have surrounding agencies there helping us, including the Wright-Patterson Fire Department and fire departments from surrounding areas, including Kettering, Butler Twp., Vandalia and Dayton,” said Bales.

The goal of the exercise is to evaluate the capability and effectiveness of the airport’s emergency plan and emergency responders in the event of an actual major aviation incident.

Bales said that the public will not be affected by the exercise.

For more information about Dayton International Airport, visit www.flydayton.com or call the marketing manager at 937-454-8200.