Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (6 December, 2016) Emergency Responders were put to the test during a full scale emergency exercise staged at the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport on Wednesday, 30 November.

The exercise called “Operation Wet Deal” involved the mock crash of a commercial plane following a bird strike to both engines which caused the aircraft to dive into the coastline and one of its engines to explode on impact. The main objective was to test the ability of the airport staff and emergency response agencies as they worked together as a team to form an organized response to save lives.

“Living on an island surrounded by water presents its own challenges for aviation, at the top of the list is the possibility of an aircraft accident in the water. For this reason The Airports Authority Emergency Planning Committee wanted to do something different with this exercise, and added an element of a partial crash in the water to further complicate the accident scenario. I am very pleased with the way everything turned out and I believe a lot of important lessons were learned,” said Cayman Islands Airports Authority’s (CIAA) Chief Safety Officer Andrew McLaughlin. He added, “In playing out the scenario the normal assets required for a water response were not readily available and when the call for assistance went out a local diving company called Reef Divers was happy to assist with the water rescue element. It was very reassuring to see the Reef Divers boat attend the scene of the accident and provide search and rescue services side by side with the Fire Service. These type of exercises are extremely important in maintaining our International Airport Certification and could not happen without the help of the adjoining community at the airport. With that said I would like to personally

thank the beachfront property owners who accommodated our unusual request to use their land, as well as all the government and non-governmental agencies, local volunteers, and students from Layman Scott High School who volunteered their time. Without their volunteerism and participation we just could not make this happen.”

Agencies involved in the emergency exercise included the Civil Aviation Authority, H.M. Rescue and Fire Fighting Service, Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, Sister Islands Emergency Committee, Department of Immigration, Emergency Medical Services, Cayman Islands Red Cross, Port Authority of the Cayman Islands, Cayman Airways and the Health Services Authority.

The CIAA organizes full scale emergency exercises in Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac every two years as part of international requirements.

Photo:

Charles Kirkconnell International Airport Full Scale Emergency Exercise held on Wednesday, 30 November