Whitsunday Coast Airport practiced a real-life response to a plane crash earlier this week with over 60 volunteers and emergency personnel taking part in the enactment.
Using a bus to act as a plane, the premise saw an ‘aircraft’ come off the runway and clip its wing following high winds at the point of landing.
Volunteers were given fake injuries that needed attending to and a sea of emergency personnel all worked together to rescue injured passengers, ensure the scene was safe and manage the airport during the event.
Whitsunday Regional Council Chief Operating Officer of Aviation and Tourism, Craig Turner, said that while this occurrence is extremely unlikely, it was really beneficial for the team to ensure best working processes were in place.
“It was fantastic to see the communication between all the stakeholders in real time,” he said.
“It allowed us to experience a full timeline of events and to identify things that could have been done better.
“We’ve learnt so much and taken on improvements to make sure we stay up to speed.”
These improvements include the purchase of new powerful radios that ensure communication is clear and also the placing of dedicated emergency packs with checklists at all control stations.
The Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting Service, Queensland Police Force and the State Emergency Service were all present on the day as well as ground handlers and the airport safety team who all worked together to provide an efficient and seamless response to the emergency simulation.
Whitsunday Regional Council Chief Operating Officer of Aviation and Tourism Craig Turner and Manager of Hamilton Island Airport Paul Watson
Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting Service Officer
Emergency service personnel. Photo credit: R Jean Photography
