Airport Hosts Live Emergency Exercise

The Indianapolis Airport Authority (IAA)  conducted a full scale, live emergency exit training exercise at the Indianapolis International Airport on Monday.

IAA hosts these exercises to test the airport’s emergency operation plans. During the exercise, crucial operational methods such as rescue methods, procedures and triage of injured victims are assessed.

The exercise included a staged aircraft and a fire demonstration. More than 30 agencies and organizations from the Greater Indianapolis region were involved, including first responders, airport personnel and the Red Cross. Around 100 volunteer actors participated as disaster victims and survivors.

Fire chief for the Indianapolis Airport Authority Rick Gentry says an exercise like this is especially helpful to prepare for collaboration between different agencies in case of future emergencies.

“It’s important to do this type of training with all of our mutual aid partners, so if we do have to work together we’re not strangers,” says Gentry.  “We’ve worked together in the past, we know what to expect.”

The Indianapolis Airport Authority does full-scale, multi-agency training every three years.