Salem Airport to host mass casualty drill Wednesday

Whitney Woodworth, Salem Statesman Journal
Updated ·1 min read
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A private jet lands at the Salem Municipal Airport Dec. 7. OFficials will hold a mass casualty drill at the airport Thursdsay as part of federal requirements to resume commercial air travel.
A private jet lands at the Salem Municipal Airport Dec. 7. OFficials will hold a mass casualty drill at the airport Thursdsay as part of federal requirements to resume commercial air travel.

Corrections & Clarifications: The story was updated to reflect the correct date of the Wednesday drill.

Sirens, first responders and emergency vehicles will be at the Salem Airport Wednesday morning, but there will be no reason for concern.

"It’s only a drill — a full-scale mass casualty drill to test the airport emergency plan," city officials said.

A mass casualty drill is required before commercial air service can begin at Salem.

After more than a decade without commercial service, flights are set to resume at McNary Field in less than a month.

Avelo Airlines will begin commercial flights between Salem and Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area starting Oct. 5.

Upgrades, renovations and security improvements were required before the site could welcome commercial flyers.

The Transportation Safety Administration requires a mass casualty drill to test the Airport Emergency Plan every three years and before commercial air service commences.

City officials said the exercise is expected to take about three and a half hours and will be limited to the Salem Airport’s southern boundary.

The airport will remain open. Everbridge community emergency alerts will not be used for the drill.

Real-world emergencies are factored into exercise logistics as drill participants prepare to address events like illnesses and injuries.

Several city departments and teams will be involved in the drill, including:

  • Airport management team

  • Emergency management

  • Willamette Valley Communications Center

  • Fire department

  • Police department

  • Risk/rafety

Participants will play a variety of roles including players, controllers, simulators, evaluators, observers, media personnel and support staff.

Following the drill, a post-exercise debriefing will include a “hot wash” where players discuss the strengths and areas for improvement, while evaluators seek clarification regarding player actions and decision-making processes.

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter at @wmwoodworth

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Salem Airport to host mass casualty drill Wednesday, Sept. 13