There is no need to be alarmed on Tuesday, December 5 when you see emergency services crews converging on Port Macquarie airport.
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A training exercise will bring together police, ambulance, fire and SES crews to test the airport’s emergency plan.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) requires that certified airports such as Port Macquarie, must have a field exercise to test the Airport Emergency Procedures (AEP) every two years.
This year, the live exercise CRASHEX 2017 will be held between 9am and 12pm.
The exercise will consist of live field activation of the Port Macquarie Airport Aerodrome Emergency Plan (AEP), followed by an exercise to discuss airline activation of secondary facilitation requirements if such an emergency were to occur.
The exercise scenario this year has been designed to familiarise emergency services participants with the Port Macquarie AEP, and focus on a scenario involving a regular public transport aircraft type that is common at Port Macquarie airport.
The public can expect to see emergency service vehicles from all services – NSW Fire Brigade, Rural Fire Service, NSW Ambulance, SES and NSW Police - around the airport precinct (Tuffins Lane & Boundary Street) and airside adjacent to the airport runway.
A local commuter bus will be used to simulate the aircraft fuselage. Due to fire and safety restrictions there will be no fire or visible smoke during this exercise.
Members of the public and other non-participants will not be permitted to access the airside areas of the exercise at any time due to aviation security regulations.
At no time will normal airport operations or regular flight schedules be affected by this exercise.
