Brac crews to test mettle with mock emergency

(CNS): Following the recent simulated air plane crash on Grand Cayman that put emergency crews through their paces, fire crews, police offiers, medical personnel and airport staff on Cayman Brac will be put to the test to hone their emergency response skills during a mock crash. The exercise called “Rescue Me” has been organized by the Cayman Islands Airports Authority (CIAA) and will be staged at the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport (CKIA) on Tuesday 25 November. The focus is similar to “The Real Deal” exercise that was held in Grand Cayman earlier this month.

The time and exact location of the exercise is confidential but motorists in Cayman Brac are being advised to expect some traffic disruptions around the CKIA area today.

“Emergency Responders will render appropriate services in order to save life and property and the airport and airline will focus on taking care of family and friends of the victims of the mock airline crash in the immediate aftermath of the incident,” officials stated.

“The Real Deal” saw for the first time family and friends of crash victims assisted by officials as well. CIAA’s senior manager, safety management systems and chairman of the Airport Emergency Planning Committee, Andrew McLaughlin, said, “The Real Deal exercise revealed that continued improvement is needed in this vital area as the airport and airlines continue to work together with the limited resources available to ensure proper treatment of friends and family during this very stressful time.”

The Airport Emergency Planning Committee comprises representatives of CIAA, Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Services, Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, Health Services Authority and the Sisters Islands Emergency Committee (SIEC). During this exercise they will be assisted by the Cayman Islands Red Cross, Government Information Services, Public Safety Communications Centre 9-1-1 and airline partners.

CIAA would like to apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, however these types of exercises are necessary in order for CIAA to meet international requirements and to test the readiness of emergency responders.