Miss. Airport Holds Large-Scale Plane Crash Drill

March 23—The Natchez-Adams County Airport became the site of a catastrophic plane crash Thursday—but only as part of an emergency preparedness drill.

The full-scale exercise organized by the Adams County Emergency Management Office utilized all facets of emergency response, as sheriff's deputies, firefighters and EMS personnel took part in the drill.

"What it entails is how fast you can react to an incident at the airport, because you know that practice makes perfect," Adams County Emergency Management Director Robert Bradford said.

Meant to reflect a real-life scenario as much as possible, the drill involved approximately 20 plane crash "victims"—portrayed by Adams County Christian School high school students—who donned makeup that simulated grave injuries. Some of those simulating the most serious injuries even had fake organs protruding out of their bodies.

Beginning with a staged "explosion," simulated a sizable but controlled haystack fire that sent heavy black smoke that contrasted against the blue sky, the drill imitated a plane crash involving a few dozen passengers.

About half of the passengers who evacuated the plane remained virtually unharmed, while the other half evacuated the plane with mild to severe injuries, and a few were treated as casualties of the fake crash.

Firefighters arrived on scene immediately to extinguish the flames, and after a few minutes, sheriff's deputies arrived on scene.

After a few more minutes, AMR ambulances rolled down the runway toward the victims, and firefighters told EMS personnel which victims needed immediate attention. A Metro Miss-Lou Ambulance Service vehicle later arrived to the scene as well.

Paramedics and firefighters tended to individuals facing severe injuries—who simulated immobilization by lying still on the ground—by carefully placing them on backboards, transferring them to stretchers and then rolling them over to an AirEvac helicopter or an ambulance.

Emergency personnel "airlifted" two individuals, though they did not actually take flight in the helicopter. The five individuals taken to ambulances, however, actually rode to Merit Health Natchez for the next portion of the drill.

Bradford said the first-ever full-scale exercise at the airport yielded some important lessons, both what first responders did well and also what areas need improvement.

One such area on which Bradford said his department would focus over the next six months is the "incident command," meaning the system that allows officials to efficiently handle emergencies through a combination of personnel, equipment, procedures and communication.

While Bradford said he thought the drill went well for the most part, Bradford said he wished there would have been more participation from community leaders.

"If something happens and they don't know the plan, it will put lives at jeopardy when they don't know the plan, when it calls for leaders to make quick decisions," Bradford said.

Bradford has emphasized a "whole community approach" concerning emergency management, and he encouraged as many key stakeholders as possible to participate in these drills when they occur, in case one day something happens and emergency personnel cannot just say, "This is a drill."