Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (4 November, 2014) The Cayman Islands Airports Authority (CIAA) and local emergency responders are gearing up for a mock Aircraft Emergency Exercise, scheduled for this Thursday, 6 November. The emergency exercise called, “The Real Deal”, will be staged in the vicinity of Owen Roberts International Airport.

This year’s exercise will have a two part focus, of prime importance is rendering the appropriate emergency services in order to save life and property, secondly the international community is now focusing on the importance of taking care of the family and friends of plane crash victims during the immediate aftermath of the incident.

According to CIAA’s senior manager, safety management systems and the chairman of the Airport Emergency Planning Committee, Andrew McLaughlin,   “Recent incidents have revealed that often times victims’ family members who are at the airport during the time of the incident are not given up to date information on their loved ones because emergency responders are focused on dealing with the crisis. However, we would like that to change and we will do our best to ensure the victims’ families are treated with due respect and are well informed throughout the whole process up to and including the time they are reunited with their loved ones.”

The goal of this type of exercise is to test the readiness of emergency responders to handle an aircraft accident and form an organized response in those critical first moments, which could mean the difference between life and death.

The Airport Emergency Planning Committee comprises of representatives from CIAA, Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Services, Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, Health Services Authority and Hazard Management Cayman Islands. Mr. McLaughlin says, “The committee has been working feverishly over the past few weeks to ensure every detail of the simulation is as close to reality as possible.” The Cayman Islands Red Cross, Government Information Services, Public Safety Communications Centre, 9-1-1, the Cayman Islands Cadet Corps and airline partners will also assist the committee during the emergency exercise.

While the exact time and location of the exercise is not being revealed, motorists are being advised to expect some traffic disruptions in the area.

PHOTO CAPTION:

Chairman of the Airport Emergency Planning Committee, Andrew McLaughlin, leads one of the emergency exercise planning meetings.