Simulated Aircraft Crash Helps California First Responders Prepare

In a small town such as San Luis Obispo, California, one would not normally expect a major plane crash. However, on May 20th, that is exactly what the country prepared for. Organized by the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport and Captain Paul Miner from CalFire, over 40 EMS personnel responded to a simulated crash of a 50 passenger aircraft which had gone off the end of the runway. While the aircraft was made up of vans and the passengers were students from Cal Poly’s EMS club and San Luis Obispo High School, the first responders were faced with a very real volume of patients.

Once the initial responding airport crash truck and engine crew had put out the burning pans of gasoline, they began to provide medical aid. As more resources arrived, they quickly mobilized and began triage, extrication, and treatment of the more than 30 victims.

Once the initial triage was complete, the patients were moved from the crash site onto the familiar colored triage tarps, where they were given oxygen while being packaged for transport. Over a dozen “patients” were transported, including two by helicopter, to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center, where they were re-triaged and treated in the hospital’s MCI tent.

As the last patients were being prepared for transport, firefighters continued to comb the crash site with infrared cameras to search for additional victims in the tall grass as H70 used FLIR from above. Overall, 10 students were tagged green, 12 yellow, 16 red, and 2 black, but in the end, all the students went home unharmed.

The exercise included local responders from CalFire crews, both at the airport and around the county, San Luis Obispo City Fire Department’s Engine 3 and Battalion 1, two ambulances and supervisors from San Luis Ambulance, the CHP’s H70 Helicopter, San Luis Obispo County Sherriff’s Department, San Luis Obispo County Public Health Office, the American Red Cross, San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport Staff, and even representatives from an airline carrier.

Overall, “the drill was successful in exercising all the elements that respond to and help mitigate a mass casualty incident,” said CalFire Captain Paul Miner. “We perform these training drills to find weaknesses and improve on them, and all the participants performed well.”

Cal Poly students also learned a lot during the exercise. One EMS Club member stated that the drill “was a lot of fun, and I have no doubt that they [responding agencies] will be ready for any MCI.”

While this drill is required every three years by the FAA, Captain Miner says that CalFire won’t be waiting. With such great participation, Cal Fire is already planning their next MCI Drill, and since Captain Miner says “the drill wouldn’t have been possible without the Cal Poly EMS Club,” Cal Poly’s students are already preparing to attend the next one.  

Daniel Berger, EMT, has volunteered as an EMT at over 150 events across California, working with local Fire Departments, EMS Providers, and Law Enforcement in dozens of jurisdictions. As full time college student at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Daniel has worked to promote EMS to students by founding the Cal Poly EMS Club, and is in the process of working with administrators to create an EMT Program.