FULL-SCALE EMERGENCY EXERCISE SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 29
27 November 2017
On Wednesday November 29, 2017, stakeholders at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) will conduct a full-scale emergency exercise. The drill scenario will begin at 6 p.m. with a call to NAD’s Operations Center from an MD80 aircraft inbound from ‘Safe-ville’ declaring an emergency landing at LPIA.
Local and international aviation regulations require airports to establish an emergency plan commensurate with the aircraft operations and other activities conducted at the airport. Regulations also mandate that a full-scale emergency exercise should be conducted at intervals not exceeding two years to evaluate the Emergency Plan.
In addition to passengers and airline crew, teams from local emergency response agencies including the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Royal Bahamas Defense Force, Civil Aviation Authority, Bahamas Air Navigation Services (BANS), Bahamas Air Accident, Investigation and Prevention Unit (BAAIPU), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Airport Authority, MED Evac, Bahamas Red Cross Society, Princess Margaret Hospital, Doctors Hospital and Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) will participate in the drill. Volunteers will pose as crewmembers and passengers involved in the incident. The most recent emergency drill exercise at LPIA took place in December 2015.
Deborah Coleby, NAD’s Vice President of Operations says putting LPIA’s emergency plan to the test allows all agencies involved to assess their individual level of preparedness and orchestrate a coordinated response.
“Upon completion of the exercise, a hot debrief will be conducted and a final report generated will provide feedback by local and international evaluators. Improvements are made based on the findings of the final report and the the airport’s Emergency Plan is updated accordingly,” Coleby explained.
Wednesday’s exercise is expected to last approximately four hours. Passengers are advised that air travel to LPIA will not be impacted during the drill. NAD encourages travelers to proceed with their travel plans as scheduled. Members of the general public are also advised that there will be emergency response vehicles in the vicinity of the airport during the drill.