Barnstable Municipal Airport will conduct an in-depth exercise involving safety protocols via a full-scale emergency drill on Wednesday, September 5 at 5:00 p.m. at two separate locations: airport grounds and Lewis Bay in Hyannis.
The exercise will simulate a completely mock scenario of an aircraft accident. Actual aircraft will not be used in the drill, yet fire departments will be setting training fires and using other simulations to test the airport’s emergency response plan. Police, Fire, Cape Cod and Falmouth hospitals, US Coast Guard, Federal Aviation Administration, Massachusetts Department of Transportation-Aeronautics Division, Airlines, American Red Cross, Emergency Management, and other Cape Cod towns will all play a role in the exercise.
Volunteers will also be on hand to play the roles of accident victims. As part of the drill, these volunteers will be transported to Cape Cod Hospital for simulated medical care.
“The Federal Aviation Administration requires us to stage a full drill every three years,” said Airport Manager Katie Servis. “The ultimate goal of the exercise is to identify improvements to be made to our emergency response should a real disaster ever happen at the airport. Both strengths and weaknesses of the response will be noted and an evaluation team on hand to monitor and critique the exercise.”
Additionally, the exercise will consist of a maritime component simulating the rescue of victims from an aircraft in Lewis Bay. The maritime exercise will test the Cape Cod Marine Mutual Aid System, which is comprised of local Fire Departments, harbormasters, and the United States Coast Guard. “The Tri-Annual Airport exercise provides an opportunity for first responders to test response plans with a wide range of stake-holders and ensure that we are prepared should those plans need to be enacted. An enormous amount of work goes into to planning and preparing for an exercise of this magnitude, we are grateful for the planning teams’ efforts” said Hyannis Fire Chief Peter Burke.
While the drill takes place in two locations at the Airport (off Mary Dunn Way) and Lewis Bay, please be advised that there will be active police, fire and helicopter activity in the vicinity of the Airport Rotary and Lewis Bay.
The Airport will remain open to scheduled and charter operations during this exercise. The ferry lanes will not be impacted.
For further drill information, please contact the airport manager’s office at 508 775-2020 or Katie.servis@town.barnstable.ma.us