POLICE, paramedics and firefighters rushed to the scene of a plane crash simulation at Tamworth Regional Airport.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The plane had hit a flock of birds on its descent, crashing into the grass a few hundred metres from the end of the runway.
It was the job of emergency services to coordinate the rescue, but unfortunately in this circumstance none of the passengers survived.
Tamworth Fire and Rescue NSW superintendent Wayne Zikan said the entire exercise was a learning curve that went well.
“It was an opportunity for us to see what works and what doesn’t in an emergency situation, and to straighten out any of those issues before we’re ever faced with something like this,” he said.
“This particular exercise was more about the operations side of things, making sure all the emergency response teams work together.
“The first priority of my team in this situation is passenger safety and trying to put out active fires, with what airplanes are made out of these days there are a lot of plastics, airborne fibre glass, hazardous materials and toxic chemicals and it’s important these be neutralised to avoid risk to members of the emergency services response teams.”
First on the job were the firefighters, eventually followed by police and ambulance once the site was declared safe to enter.
Once it was determined there were no survivors, the plane crash site becomes a crime scene for police – anything over five casualties is declared a major incident.
Overseeing the simulation required by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority is Tamworth Regional Airport manager Julie Stewart, who said she was impressed with the timely and well-planned responses of all the crews.
Read also:
“There were a few things we identified would work well next time including exercise directors, actually adding some additional visions at the crash scene,” she said.
“With the terminal undergoing reconstruction it added extra complexity because our normal response locations have all moved.
“Number one is that everybody knows the layout of the airport and expected response, communication lines are clearly defined now and everybody understands their various roles.”