The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is conducting an emergency preparedness exercise at Washington Dulles International Airport on Saturday, May 4 from 8:30 a.m. to approximately 12:00 p.m. A simulated aircraft accident will test the Airport’s emergency plan and provide hands-on training to airport and mutual aid emergency response personnel.
The exercise will take place on a closed runway and will not affect normal airport operations. It will include the following elements to simulate the realism of an actual emergency:
- A widebody United Airlines jet aircraft on the runway
- A trainer aircraft that will be lit on fire, producing visible smoke
- Participation by Airports Authority Police, Fire/Rescue and Airport Operations personnel
- Over 50 responding emergency vehicles, including mutual aid from eight surrounding fire departments
- Over 100 volunteer actors moulaged to simulate injuries sustained from the incident
- A helicopter hovering over the scene
PLEASE NOTE: Some of the exercise elements may be seen or heard on Saturday morning from communities surrounding the airport – especially near route 606, Route 28 and the Dulles Access Highway. Due to site security concerns, the exercise is not open to the public.
Please remember, this is only an exercise.
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