LAX Disaster Drill

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This sounds like one really put together drill!

LAX Disaster Drill Scheduled For Tuesday

On Tuesday, May 15, 2007, the Los Angeles Fire Department will be joined by more than twenty allied agencies at 'AirEx 2007', a simulated aircraft disaster at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

AirEx 2007 is a Federally mandated functional training exercise simulating a large-scale airport emergency.

During Tuesday's drill, public safety agencies may broadcast realistic sounding messages on their radio systems that simulate emergency conditions. We wish to emphasize that this event is routine scheduled training to support interagency incident management.

In the event of a real emergency at Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday, an official bulletin will be issued. The following news release is from our friends at Los Angeles World Airports...

Los Angeles International Airport to Test Emergency Response With Full-Scale Simulated Aircraft Disaster

Over 700 Participants Make LAX Air Exercise One of the Largest Drills Among U.S. Airports

WHAT: LAX Air Exercise (AirEx) 2007 is a full-scale, simulated

aircraft disaster drill designed to test Los Angeles

International Airport's (LAX) Emergency Response Plan.

This unrehearsed exercise is required by the Federal

Aviation Administration (FAA) to be conducted at least

once every three years to evaluate the operational

capability of LAX's emergency management system in a

real-time, stress-filled environment in which personnel,

equipment and material are mobilized and deployed. With

more than 700 participants -- including 200 volunteers

playing mock "victims" and "family members" -- this year's

LAX air exercise is one of the largest full-scale drills

among all U.S. airports.

WHEN: Tuesday, May 15, 2007

1. Pre-exercise news conference at 11:30 a.m.

2. Full-scale air exercise from 12 noon to 3 p.m.

WHO: Pre-drill news conference speakers:

1. LAX Airport Manager Jens Rivera

2. Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Donald Austin

(Chief Austin will also provide real-time

explanation of response efforts)

More than 700 participants representing over 20

organizations, including Los Angeles Fire Department, Los

Angeles World Airports (LAX Airport Operations, LAX Airport

Police, Construction & Maintenance, Public Relations, Risk

Management, Emergency Preparedness), Los Angeles and El

Segundo Police Departments, Federal Aviation

Administration, National Transportation Safety Board,

Transportation Security Administration, American Red Cross,

United Airlines and LAN Airlines, Federal Bureau of

Investigation, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, Los

Angeles County Emergency Preparedness and Mental Health

Departments, American Red Cross, local-area hospital

emergency rooms and medical units, ambulance services

and other mutual aid organizations, and other Southern

California airports.

WHERE: LAX Imperial Terminal/Flight Path Learning Center 6661 West Imperial Highway, Los Angeles (Thomas Bros., Pg. 702, F-6)

Media will be in a viewing area on the Imperial Terminal aircraft ramp between 150-300 feet from the various AirEx activities.

MEDIA PARKING: Broadcast-equipped TV and radio vehicles ONLY may park adjacent to the viewing area in the LAX Imperial Terminal parking lot. ALL other media may park at 10700 Pershing Drive located on the west side of the airport between Imperial Highway and World Way West. LAX shuttle buses will transport on a regular basis between the parking lot and Imperial Terminal.

SCENARIO: A Boeing 747 aircraft on approach to LAX experiences failed hydraulic systems, resulting in the right main gear unable to extend for landing. The pilot declares an emergency and FAA air traffic control activates emergency procedures. Upon landing, the aircraft loses control and veers off the runway. The gear collapses and the aircraft breaks, causing catastrophic structural damage as well as an explosion. Besides many fatalities, there is widespread panic and injuries among survivors.

SOUND/VISUALS:

1. Simulated audio of FAA Air Traffic Control Tower alert

2. Pyrotechnic display to simulate crash and fire

3. Static Boeing 747 aircraft and simulated "debris field" of aircraft parts

4. Emergency responders rush to scene

5. 200 "victims" in make-up and others acting as "family members"

6. Medical triage on scene, "fatalities"

7. Injured dispatched by ambulances and helicopters

8. Airline, American Red Cross and mental health counselors executing family assistance plans and centers

9. Public information officers executing media relations and public information center

MEDIA POOLS: Ground coverage: LAX Public Relations has arranged the following media pool that will be escorted INTO the incident site during the exercise to shoot close-ups of activities at the Incident Command Post, patient triage, medical evacuation by ambulance and helicopter, airline family assistance, Joint Information Center, and other situations that may occur during the unrehearsed drill.

1. Still photography - Daily Breeze at 310-540-5511

2. Film - KABC-TV, Jay Eckstein at 818-863-7676

3. Radio - KFWB-AM, Michael Shappee at 213-305-6935

Aerial coverage: Due to fire department helicopters

simulating the medevac of victims by air and to avoid

congestion in the air, the FAA Air Traffic Control Tower

at LAX has requested media conducting aerial coverage of

the AirExercise to form a media pool.

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So are there any pics out there yet???