PREPLANNING FOR AIRCRAFT DISASTERS
No two aircraft rescue disasters are the same. Each accident presents distinct problems. Preplanning for aircraft disasters is invaluable to the effectiveness and success of operations.
- FDNY has contingency plans for aircraft emergencies at both of New York’s major airports.
- Annual interagency disaster drills on airport grounds have increased our knowledge of firefighting/rescue techniques and coordination with other emergency agencies and postdisaster operations.
- To further improve our system, we recently participated in two offairport disaster drills. They were fullscale operational response exercises, simulating an aircraft crash partially on land and in the bay around the airport. Live “victims” were placed in the water, hundreds of yards from shore, and on land. We concentrated on upgrading our interagency’ communications, service coordination, and emergency program development. This test of rescue procedures,
- interagency cooperation, and victim handling on a large-scale basis proved helpful at the crash of Flight 405.
- FDNY units that respond to the airport participate in airport-familiarization drills on a regular basis. Refining our skills in relaying water, escort procedures, and airplane rescue procedures are the main goals of these drills.
- We hold tabletop exercises, whereby the managers of the various agencies are presented with an air crash disaster problem. This interagency command exercise helps to fine-tune communications between all agencies that respond to disasters.
- In April 1990, Mayor David Dinkins formed an aviation emergency preparedness working group to examine the city’s coordinated response to potential aviation disasters and offer recommendations. One representative of each emergency response agency sits on this committee.
(Photo by Thomas Daly.)
