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Local Emergency Response Agencies to conduct major airport emergency response exercise October 1, 2005
Sep 29, 2005
Victoria B.C. - Recent events demonstrate the critical importance of Emergency Response Preparedness.
Every three years the Victoria Airport Authority conducts a major emergency exercise involving the region's emergency response agencies.
The exercise planned for Saturday October 1st will simulate a mid-air collision involving an arriving "Phantom Air" aircraft with 64 passengers and a seaplane departing from Pat Bay with 4 people on board. The "Phantom Air" aircraft will crash into the Institute of Ocean Sciences' parking lot on West Saanich Road and the seaplane will sink into Pay Bay.
Major players in the event include: Victoria Airport Authority, Air Canada Jazz, NavCanada Control Tower, BC Ambulance, RCMP, BC Coroner's Officer, Joint Rescue Coordinating Centre, Transportation Safety Board, Victoria Search and Rescue, Canadian Coast Guard, Provincial Emergency Preparedness, Vancouver Island Health Authority, and BC Transit, along with Fire Services from the Airport, North Saanich, Sidney and Central Saanich.
The exercise will have three components:
1. Major Crash Rescue with a full crash site and On-Scene Command Response
2. The BC Coroner's Office will conduct a weekend long forensic "search & recovery" exercise complete with 40 rubber "bodies and an on-scene morgue; and,
3. Air Canada Jazz will exercise their Disaster Plan.
The exercise will begin at 10:00 am on Saturday October 1st. The media will be able to observe the exercise and gain video coverage and photographs of the simulated crash site and response teams. Please be on-site no later than 9:45 am.
For more information contact:
Terry Stewart
Manager, Marketing & Development
Phone: 250.953.7514
Mobile: 250.888.6471
Facsimile: 250.953.7509
Email: terry.stewart@victoriaairport.com
