Department of Transportation

HONOLULU – The Honolulu International Airport served as the staging area for a triennial emergency response exercise this morning. The realistic exercise, conducted as a certification requirement by the Federal Aviation Administration, tests airfield disaster preparedness and response by simulating a full-scale aircraft emergency disaster. The exercise tests and evaluates the operational capacity of emergency response in a stress environment.

“It is important to train for worst case scenarios even as we hope that they never occur,” said Interim Director Ford Fuchigami. “Training, working together and being prepared will make the difference in a crisis situation. We thank all of those who volunteered their time to make this exercise a success.”

The multi-agency exercise, conducted from 7:30 to noon, employed the use of 400 volunteers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hawaii Pacific University, Chaminade University and airport personnel, who assisted and played the role of the injured. Participating agencies included City & County of Honolulu Fire Department, Emergency Medical Services, American Medical Response, Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam – Federal Fire Department, U.S. Coast Guard – Honolulu Sector, FAA, state Department of Public Safety, Aloha Air Cargo and Hawaiian Airlines.

Flight operations continued as normal during the exercise.

Aircraft Rescue Firefighters cart a simulated victim to the triage area as part of the Triennial Aircraft Disaster Exercise

Two nursing students tend to a simulated victim at Honolulu International Airport as part of the Triennial Aircraft Disaster Exercise