FULL-SCALE EMERGENCY RESPONSE IN AIRPORT DRILL
(Note to Editors: The air exercise site is located on the west side of the restricted airfield and all media will be transported to the site by shuttle bus. All media interested in attending should contact LAX Public Relations at (310) 646-5260 to reserve shuttle transportation to the site.)
(Los Angeles, California – April 19, 2004) A full-scale, unrehearsed simulated aircraft incident, AIREX 2004, will be conducted Tuesday, April 20 at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to test the operational capability of the airport's emergency management system in a real-time stress environment, in which personnel, equipment and material are mobilized and deployed. The air exercise will take place on the restricted airfield on the remote west end of the airport (no public access). With more than 700 participants scheduled to participate, AIREX 2004 is considered one of the largest full-scale drills among all U.S. airports.
"Training exercises such as AIREX 2004 are part of our ongoing efforts to ensure the safety and security of all residents and visitors to Los Angeles," said Mayor Jim Hahn. "These simulations provide emergency responders a crucial opportunity to practice skills and coordination. We know that the more we practice, the better prepared we will be to handle a real emergency."
Participants represent the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD); LAX Airport Operations; Los Angeles Airport Police; Los Angeles County agencies; El Segundo and Los Angeles Police Departments; the National Transportation Safety Board; the Federal Aviation Administration; federal law enforcement agencies; American Red Cross; local-area hospital emergency rooms, medical units, and ambulance services; other mutual-aid organizations; airline emergency response teams; and Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) divisions including emergency services coordination, construction and maintenance, public relations, ground transportation, and risk management. Of the total participants, over 300 volunteers will serve as "victims" and "family and friends" of victims, and will be assigned certain types of injuries with appropriate make-up, as well as given behaviors to role-play. Additionally, over 400 representatives from the airport-wide community, as well as officials from other airports, are expected to observe the full-scale exercise.
The exercise scenario involves a runway collision of two aircraft, a Boeing 747-400 passenger aircraft and a cargo aircraft. In the scenario, a passenger aircraft is cleared for takeoff on one of the airport's two southern runways, Runway 25 Right, while the pilot of a cargo aircraft is told to cross Runway 25 Left. As the passenger aircraft accelerates down the runway, the pilot of the cargo aircraft becomes confused about his instructions and crosses Runway 25R into the path of the passenger aircraft. The two aircraft strike at midpoint of the runway. A large section of the passenger aircraft skids across the runway to the south end of Terminal 7, impacting passenger gates. An emergency fire and rescue response zone and "debris field" are created on and along the runway toward the terminal. Other possible, unrehearsed contingencies may occur.
In addition to triage and on-site treatment of nearly 300 "victims," medical evacuation by ambulance and helicopter is scheduled to occur. A major domestic air carrier has volunteered the use of one of its Boeing 747 passenger aircraft for use in the exercise. Airline personnel will practice their emergency response procedures and activate that airlines' family assistance program in a real-time setting. Several large pieces of salvaged aircraft parts also will be used for the first time to simulate a "debris field" that emergency responders must maneuver around.
The objectives of AIREX 2004 are: (1) to examine the emergency response capabilities and readiness of LAX operations and support personnel, the LAFD, and area mutual aid organizations (including local hospitals); (2) to evaluate the effectiveness of LAX in implementing the Incident Command System under the California Standardized Management System; (3) to practice life-saving strategies and methods; and (4) to test and evaluate the effectiveness of LAX's support and coordination with airlines and other tenants in implementing the airport's emergency plan.
Michael DiGirolamo, deputy executive director of airports operations of Los Angeles World Airports that owns and operates LAX and three other Southern California airports, said, "The air exercise will give airport employees and agencies an opportunity to practice and refine their emergency procedures. This full-scale, real-time simulation provides necessary experience to maximize the effectiveness of all our emergency response team members should an incident occur at LAX."
Federal aviation regulations require all commercial U.S. airports to conduct a full-scale exercise at least once every three years. LAX officials regularly conduct exercises using various emergency scenarios that might occur at the airport. Past air exercises include an airfield incident, an earthquake, an over-the-water incident, and two incidences occurring simultaneously, an aircraft-vehicle collision and a hazardous material spill.
