LA/ONTARIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HOLDS AIRPORT EMERGENCY EXERCISE

(Ontario, Calif. – April 11, 2012) – Emergency responders gathered at LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT) for Air Exercise (AIREX) 2012, an unrehearsed, table-top exercise designed to test how agencies coordinate efforts during an aircraft emergency.  The exercise is required under Federal Aviation Administration regulations to evaluate the capabilities of interagency coordination among various agencies responsible for responding to an aircraft or other incident at ONT.

The drill involved an aircraft collision with a fuel truck during a period of bad weather.  Emergency responders were responsible for rescuing and treating victims, securing the emergency situation, protecting the environment and restoring airport operations.

Participants included: the Airport Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF), Airport Operations, Police, Construction & Maintenance, Landside Operations, Administration and Media Relations participated with local police and fire departments; federal aviation and law enforcement agencies; American Red Cross; local area hospital emergency rooms, medical units, ambulance services and other mutual-aid organizations in attendance.  Representatives from other airports were also in attendance to assist in the exercise.

ONT is located in the Inland Empire, approximately 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the center of Southern California. It is a medium-hub, full-service airport with commercial jet service to 15 major U.S. cities and through service to many international destinations. There are approximately 114 daily flights offered by 8 air carriers. In 2011, ONT served 4.5 million passengers and processed 419,523 tons of air cargo. ONT is part of a system of three Southern California airports – along with Los Angeles International and Van Nuys general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports, a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the City’s general fund.

For more information about ONT, please visit www.lawa.org , follow us on Twitter @ONT_Official , and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONTAirport .