YOUR AD HERE »

Emergency drill is Tuesday at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport

Staff report

Airport and local emergency responders will participate in a full-scale simulated airline crash late Tuesday (Sept. 1) afternoon and into the night at the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport.

The Triennial Full Scale Airport Emergency Exercise is required by the Federal Aviation Administration every three years. It will include approximately 50 “victims” and “families of victims” played by local volunteers and actors.

The exercise will be held near the Airport Operations Center on the west side of the airport.



“We will try to make the drill as realistic as possible so we can fully test our ability to quickly and efficiently respond to any emergency that happens on the airport, particularly when it involves a commercial airliner or large private aircraft,” said Dustin Havel, the airport’s assistant aviation director of operations and facilities.

Volunteers will receive full “moulage” or injury simulation makeup for the drill. First responders will practice determining the extent of injury, treating on the scene and transporting victims to the Hospital. A mobile aircraft fire training unit will be used to simulate the aircraft fuselage. Airline officials will practice dealing with “families of victims.”




Airport and airline personnel will participate along with the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, Aspen Fire Protection District, Aspen Ambulance, Snowmass-Wildcat Fire Protection District, Carbondale and Rural Fire Protection District, Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Security Administration and a host of local volunteers and actors.