Roads leading to Kimberley Airport will be blocked to traffic on Thursday for the purposes of an emergency exercise drill that will take place from around 7am to 4pm.
ROADS leading to Kimberley Airport will be blocked to traffic on Thursday for the purposes of an emergency exercise drill that will take place from around 7am until 4pm.
The chief fire officer at Kimberley Airport, Reymondo Cannon, said simulated exercises – including a bomb detonating, firefighting, passenger evacuations, handling multiple injuries, fatalities and unlawful interference – would be carried out to prepare and minimise impact on operations.
“Planning for this event started in January. We will make use of the biggest aircraft available The drills will take place between scheduled flights and will be observed by the Civil Aviation Authority. Additional crews will be on standby in the event of a real-life emergency, where the drills will be suspended,” said Cannon.
“Some roads around public and private hospitals in the city will also be closed as passengers will be airlifted for medical attention. Paramedics will prioritise patients according to the severity of their injuries.”
Cannon added that the airport conducted emergency drills every two years to assess reaction times and establish if all resources, equipment and sufficient manpower were in place in the event of a crisis.
He said the stakeholders who will participate in the event include the SAPS, Frances Baard district disaster management, ER24, Rocket EMS, local emergency medical services, the SAPS air wing and bomb squad and Sol Plaatje emergency services and fire brigade.
“Expanded Public Works Programme workers will role-play as passengers who are injured during the drills. Staff from the Henrietta Stockdale College will act as make-up artists so that the injuries of the passengers look authentic.”
