Volunteers sported fake bruises, wide-open cuts, broken bones and smears of blood as part of a mock plane crash Friday at Durango-La Plata County Airport.
One woman lay on asphalt with a fake piece of glass protruding from her chest. Volunteer Yvonne Ellis comforted her.
“Whatever it takes to help fine-tune this whole rescue mission,” she said.
Ellis was one of many mock victims to participate in the drill, which is required every three years by the Federal Aviation Administration. The large-scale emergency drill helps emergency responders from across the region be ready to work together on a crash.
If a commercial plane crashed at the airport, Director of Aviation Tony Vicari said regional emergency responders are prepared.
“I do feel confident that we as an airport and our mutual-aid agencies have the right training and preparation to appropriately respond,” he said.
This year, airport staff focused on improving communications among agencies, which is always challenging during a large-scale emergency because of the flurry of radio traffic that takes place immediately after a crash, Vicari said. The Durango-La Plata County Dispatch Center worked with the airport on a new communication plan before the drill, he said.
After the drill, agency representatives agreed communication was one of the strengths of the exercise.
“It seems like we made some really good steps there,” Vicari said.
The agencies also worked on making sure they would be able to efficiently reunify victims with family and friends after a crash.
Reunification can be a challenge because victims can be sent to hospitals across the region, and must be tracked, he said.
“You could actually overwhelm a single hospital,” he said.
Two school buses parked on the taxiway played the part of an airplane. Volunteer victims were assigned injuries – broken wrists, concussions or nasty cuts – at random. They were also instructed to react in certain ways, such as denial or heavy tears.
Gabi Albrecht and her daughter, Jennifer Albrecht, were directed to be confused. The two women, originally from Germany, pretended to forget how to speak English.
“That was a surprise for them,” Jennifer said of the emergency responders.
Sheriff Sean Smith, who can speak German, translated for the two women, who pretended to be tourists.
“That was really impressive,” Gabi Albrecht said of the sheriff’s ability to translate.
After leaving the bus, ’er “plane,” Kaylee Egger, 15, observed the scene as she waited for someone to evaluate the fake glass protruding from her forehead. She noted that the scene was fairly subdued as more and more emergency responders and vehicles, including two helicopters, arrived. About 200 people were expected to participate in the drill, Vicari said.
“It seems a lot calmer than it would actually be,” Egger said.
The emergency response seemed rather delayed to some volunteers. But the timing was choreographed to match the drive time for responders coming from across the region, said Dennis Ray, chief of Durango-La Plata County Airport Fire, who organized the drill. Drive time to the airport is one of the biggest factors to consider in response time to a true emergency, he said.
There were some “little hitches” in the drill, but overall, it went well, he said.
Representatives from agencies that participated were also pleased, Vicari said.
“The general feedback from the group was almost completely positive,” he said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
