San Diego County conducted an emergency-response training exercise Thursday at McClellan-Palomar Airport.
During the drill, county airport staff, multiple public and private agencies and volunteers practiced what would happen if a commercial aircraft veered off the runway. The staging included debris strewn everywhere, dozens injured and several dead.
“So this drill ... is a testing of the emergency response system,” Palomar Operations Manager John Otto said. “Just in case there was an incident on the airport, we're practicing how we will respond to that incident.”
It’s part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirement for commercial airports. Although until this year, Palomar hadn’t had a commercial flight in more than 10 years, "we still perform these drills because it's a part of our 139 certificate," Otto said. "So we practice even though there wasn't a commercial airline here, knowing that one day a commercial airline would return.”
And return they did. American Airlines returned earlier this year and United is expected to return next year.
The drill is required every three years. The goal is to become so familiar with it that it becomes second nature and part of muscle memory.
“We're proactively ready for an event at this airport,” Cal Fire Capt. Chris Matthews said. “But it also enhances our multicasualty, the incident and triage concepts for any type of other setting we may encounter.”
The exercise also helps first responders quickly assess a chaotic scene, tend to victims, "and transport them essentially to where they need to go," Matthews said.
County Supervisor Jim Desmond was also there to observe the drill. As a former commercial airline pilot, he said this training is invaluable.
“The best part of today is making sure they've got the skills and they coordinate with each other when something like this potentially happens,” Desmond said.
Palomar Airport is owned and operated by the county, which is responsible for all ground operations, including the runway, taxiways, ramps, and passenger terminal space. The FAA is responsible for air traffic safety.
