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Vernon airport hosts plane crash exercise

The imaginary plane crash saw a cross-agency response from local responders.
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Owner/ pilot Chuck Ross giving emergency responders a tour of the Vans RV4 Aircraft. (Photo contributed)

The Vernon Airport was the scene of an imaginary plane crash Thursday.

It saw a cross-agency response from members of the RCMP, BC Ambulance Service, Vernon Fire Rescue Services, and City of Vernon staff including Bylaw Compliance officers, Airport, Communications and Emergency Support Services staff.

“This tabletop exercise is a good opportunity for all the responding agencies to get together to work through the City’s Airport Emergency Response Plan,” said Ian Adkins, Supervisor of Vernon Airport. “An incident at the airport could require the involvement of all these agencies.”

This year, local pilots with knowledge of aircraft types that are common at the Vernon Airport were on hand to explain how to deal with an inverted aircraft and some of the issues that can occur in a plane crash.

“These practice scenarios help familiarize all agencies with the airport protocols and they support our regulatory requirement to hold a tabletop exercise annually, and a major practice scenario once every four years,” said Adkins. “I think everyone comes away with a good refresher on dealing with airport incidents and each time we learn something new.”

For Vernon, the seasonal threats of flooding and fires are the most pressing concerns so it makes sense to plan and practice for emergencies at this time of the year.

“These exercises provide us with an opportunity to practice executing emergency plans together,” said City of Vernon Fire Chief and Director of Emergency Management David Lind. We build relationships, identify gaps in the plans and make adjustments in a safe environment.”

Related: Vernon RCMP host Emergency Services Showcase

Related: RCMP to host emergency services showcase in Vernon

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