OREANDA-NEWS. The San Francisco International Airport (SFO) completed its annual emergency exercise today, simulating an aircraft accident that tested emergency procedures for communication, incident command, and coordination between multiple agencies. Although federal regulations require U.S. airports to conduct such a drill every three years, SFO conducts this full-scale emergency drill annually to ensure the highest level of readiness.

"Safety is our highest priority, and this exercise is a critical part of our emergency preparedness," said Airport Director John L. Martin. "I appreciate active participation of so many organizations to ensure a seamless and unified response to any emergency."

The Airport closed two runways for the exercise and utilized its Boeing 767 training aircraft to practice tactics for firefighting, passenger extrication, triage, and medical transport. The drill demonstrated the interoperability among SFO and regional fire department radio systems, and allowed the Airport to utilize a state-of-the-art emergency alert and notification system which it recently acquired.

The exercise demonstrated the effective coordination of various agencies, including Airport staff, the San Francisco Fire Department Airport Division, the San Francisco Police Department Airport Bureau, mutual aid units from around the Bay Area, and various state and federal agencies. Over 250 volunteers, complete with make-up, participated as role-play passengers. American Airlines served as the lead airline for the exercise, practicing procedures for reunification of role-play passengers with family members. Local area hospitals also participated in drills of patient arrival and requests for information.