Local News

BWI Officials Practice Rescue Techniques

BALTIMORE (WJZ) ― At BWI-Thurgood Marshall, they were practicing rescue techniques Saturday.  This is a simulated disaster exercise involving the imaginary collision of a small plane and a jet on a runway.

As Tim Williams reports, it's a skill emergency workers hope will never be needed.

Red Cross volunteers play victims scattered through the debris and emergency crews rush in to help.

"We initiated the mutual aid in for support," said BWI-Thurgood Marshall Airport Deputy Chief Gary Pace.

It's imaginary, but taken quite seriously.  First responders from state transit, transportation and medical agencies joined the American Red Cross.  All were asked to imagine a jet carrying 167 passengers suddenly crashing.

"Unfortunately, one day it's gonna happen.  We hope it's not here, but hopefully we're ready and seems by the drill here today, you can tell that we are," said American Red Cross response manager Gonzalo Hernandez.

After an engine stalls 200 feet above ground, some of the passengers are killed and the rest have various injuries.  It's the kind of disaster no one likes to think about, but at BWI-Thurgood Marshall that's exactly the kind of scenario airport officials simulated. 

"We look at this as a way of improving the systems we already have in place and it improves the working relationship we have with sister agencies around the state," said Cheryl Stewart.

This drill is simulated and practiced every three years.

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