A Simulated Aircraft Crash Tests Preparedness and Coordination Among Emergency Agencies
Koraput :- Jeypore Airport conducted a Full-Scale Emergency Mock Exercise, a mandatory drill as per the guidelines of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). These biennial exercises are designed to assess the airport’s preparedness in handling real-life emergency situations involving aircraft incidents.
The objective of the exercise was to evaluate multiple critical aspects such as emergency response capabilities, inter-agency coordination, communication flow, resource management, and the overall effectiveness of the Airport Emergency Plan (AEP).
In the mock scenario, a simulated aircraft crash was induced within the airport premises. The Airport Firefighting and Rescue Team was the first to respond, acting promptly to contain the fire and initiate rescue operations. Soon after, City Fire Services and the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) joined the effort, demonstrating coordinated firefighting and victim evacuation procedures.
A medical triage area was established by the airport medical team to assess and sort victims based on the severity of their injuries. While minorly injured individuals received on-the-spot first aid, seriously injured and casualty cases were swiftly transported to the District and Civil Hospitals using ambulances. The local police played a vital role in managing crowd control, assisting with the reception of relatives of the mock victims, and ensuring the creation of a green corridor to facilitate unhindered ambulance movement.
At the conclusion of the exercise, a joint debriefing session was held with all participating stakeholders to review the effectiveness of the emergency response. The session focused on identifying operational gaps and areas of improvement to enhance future preparedness.
The Airport Director, Commander Abakash Parida, applauded the collective efforts and professionalism demonstrated by all teams involved. He extended his gratitude to the participating departments and emphasized the importance of such exercises in maintaining safety standards and saving lives in real-time emergencies.
The exercise witnessed the coordinated involvement of both on-airport and off-airport agencies.
Cdr Abakash Parida – Airport DirectorShri Simanchal Sahu Safety Manager Shri Amiya S. Das Terminal Manager, Insp. Kiran Mohanty – Chief Airport Security Officer (CASO), Shri Jitendra N.Gouda In-Charge, Air Traffic Control (ATC), Shr,D.K. Mishra In-Charge, Fire Services
Dr. Niranjan Patro – In-Charge, Medical Team
Sub-Collector, Jeypore, District Medical Officer (DMO), District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) Superintending Engineer, Jeypore (R&B),Inspector-in-Charge, Sadar Police Station
ODRAF (Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force)
Assistant Fire Officer (AFO), Jeypore
This successful exercise reaffirms Jeypore Airport’s commitment to aviation safety and disaster preparedness, ensuring all stakeholders are ready to respond swiftly and effectively in the event of a real-life emergency.
