Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (24 September 2018) The Cayman Islands Airports Authority (CIAA) recently presented certificates of commendation and appreciation to volunteers and emergency responders who volunteered as victims or support personnel for the full-scale emergency exercise staged at the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport in Cayman Brac on Tuesday, 12 June 2018.

“In recent years there have been several unthinkable acts against civil aviation around the world. Rather than pretend this could not happen here, the CIAA chose to be proactive and update our response to these type of incidents,” said Chief Safety Management Officer Andrew McLaughlin. “The scenarios used in the Airport Emergency Exercises this year were extremely challenging. This is the first time to my knowledge we have presented two separate incidents occurring within minutes of each other. This required all agencies to think on their feet as resources and personnel were stretched to their limits.”

To comply with International Standards, the CIAA stages two full-scale emergency exercises every two years in order to test the ability of airport staff and emergency response agencies to work together to form an organised response to save lives and limit damage to property.

“I am proud to say that airport personnel and emergency responders maintained focus on the basic skills needed to control both situations and maintain personal safety levels, while responding with the necessary plans and procedures to neutralise both threats. At the heart of these exercises are the volunteers, whether acting as victims or Red Cross first aiders. Without them this would not be possible,” added Mr. McLaughlin.

IMAGE:  CIAA’s Chief Safety Management Officer Andrew McLaughlin with volunteers of the full-scale emergency exercise.