The Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation (CJIAC) on Wednesday staged a Full Scale Emergency Exercise during the evening.
A release yesterday from the CJIAC said that the exercise simulated an aircraft accident on the airfield based upon a prepared scenario. The release noted that the emergency exercise is a requirement for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The last full-scale emergency exercise was conducted on the 8th November 2017.
The Airport Operations Manager and Coordinator of the exercise, Alvin Majeed, said that “International Airports are required to conduct such exercises at least once every two years with (the) objective being to test responses by all personnel involved, emergency plans and procedures and emergency equipment and communication systems”.
The exercise, which began at 6.01 pm and concluded at 7.37 pm, involved approximately 300 persons from key agencies such as CJIAC, the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Police Force, Airport Fire Service, Customs and Immigration, Airport Security Unit, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Airport Operators/Airlines, the Civil Defence Commission and Port Health.
The scenario entailed an “aircraft crash” on landing with 55 persons on board, following which the various agencies were notified to respond to the accident.
The Aerodrome Fire Service was the first agency to respond. The release said that they extinguished the fire and rescued the aircraft occupants. The crash site area was cordoned off by the airport security officers with support from the police while Guyana Defence Force (GDF) troops formed an outer cordon to protect the area. The “rescued” persons were evaluated at a triage site by medical personnel and then transported to a care area equipped with medical supplies which served as a “mini- hospital”.
The “most critical persons” were evacuated by GDF helicopter to Georgetown and others to the Diagnostic Centre at Diamond. A senior CJIAC staff member took on the role of the ‘On Scene Commander.’ The Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) was activated and representatives from the agencies and the Emergency Committee members reported to the EOC to aid with the coordination of any request for resources and assist with decision-making.
The Management of the CJIA Corporation thanked the participating agencies for their support in the planning and execution of the exercise over the last three months.
A Fly Jamaica crash-landing on November 9, 2018 at the CJIA had raised some concerns about the emergency response. There was general chaos and some passengers had to walk a significant distance before they were helped. Others reported that that cars ferried them to safe points at exorbitant costs. Some of the first responders were also accused of stealing items from passengers.
Around 10 persons suffered injuries while using the evacuation slide. They were taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, where they were treated and either discharged or transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital for additional tests. An elderly woman eventually died following hospitalisation for injuries she had sustained.
