Media Advisory: TRI Emergency Drill
Blountville, Tenn. – Tri-Cities Airport will conduct an Airport emergency exercise Wednesday, June 10, from 10 AM to 12 PM.
Purpose:
This is a federally-mandated exercise designed to promote emergency preparedness, test the Airport’s emergency operation plan, train personnel in emergency management duties and coordinate the efforts of local emergency service agencies responding to an aircraft accident or incident.
Media Assembly Point:
Address: Air Cargo Center off Hamilton Road
100 Cargo Center Dr., Blountville, TN 37617
Parking: Park in front of cargo terminal and walk through gate Z.
No media vehicles will be allowed in exercise area.
PRESS CREDENTIALS MUST BE PRESENTED TO SECURITY AT THE GATE
CHECK IN AND AT THE DESIGNATED MEDIA AREA
Schedule:
Participant assembly time 9:30 AM
Burn bus prepared 9:30 AM
Victims staged 9:45 AM
Exercise begins 10:00 AM
• Due to COVID-19, this exercise has been limited to help prevent its spread. We will have a limited number of volunteer victims who will not be touched and will be given verbal instructions on how they would be treated and will be asked to walk to their assigned area. There will be a number of simulated victims in place for responders to assess. We will also have a bus burning to simulate and aircraft fire. Tri-Cities Airport responders will be working with local mutual aid agencies to distinguish the fire.
Scenario:
At approximately 9:00 AM, a 76-passenger regional jet en route to Tri-Cities Airport crashes upon landing when the left main landing gear fails and the aircraft slides off the runway. The aircraft then rolled, breaking into two separate pieces with one section catching on fire. The Air Traffic Control Tower calls an Alert 3. The on-duty Airport public safety officers respond and call for mutual aid support. Sixty souls were on board, 56 passengers and four crew. Several people are ejected from the aircraft and injuries range from minor cuts and scrapes to serious trauma with some fatalities.
Media Notes:
• Follow CDC guidelines of social distancing and wearing face coverings.
• Hand-carried cameras only; media vehicles will not be allowed on the airfield.
• During the exercise, members of the media are asked to refrain from talking to or approaching any of the direct participants.
• Media are requested to stay in the designated media area during the drill. This is for safety purposes. Every effort will be made to provide as much access as possible while maintaining the integrity of the drill.
• If an actual emergency occurs at the Airport, the exercise will be cancelled or placed on hold, depending on the situation.
• The Airport will remain open and operational during the exercise. Daily operations should function as usual.
• This exercise will focus on emergency response and will not simulate how the airline or airport would work with family, friends, and onlookers. In an actual emergency, media would not be allowed inside the accident perimeter.
• Dress accordingly as the drill is conducted outdoors.
Exercise Objectives:
• To exercise and evaluate the Airport’s emergency plan.
• To familiarize mutual aid agencies with Airport facilities, staff and emergency procedures.
• To provide training to Airport employees and local emergency responders in a mass injury and casualty incident.
• To demonstrate the ability to prioritize and use jurisdictional resources and Assets for maximum effectiveness during response operations.
• To demonstrate the capability to conduct rapid situational assessment.