Warwick, RI — The Rhode Island Airport Corporation with assistance from the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency and Southwest Airlines will be conducting an emergency management exercise on Saturday September 21st. The Federal Aviation Administration requires a Triennial Full Scale Preparedness Exercise every three years. The exercise simulating an aircraft accident with mass casualties will run from 6:30 am until approximately 1:00 pm.
“These drills ensure that the airport and our public safety partners are fully prepared for a coordinated response in the event a situation were to develop. We appreciate the participation of all of our partners and especially the volunteers that are essential to make these trainings successful. We also appreciate the media for informing the public that this drill is taking place on Saturday as we do not want to unnecessarily alarm anyone,” said Iftikhar Ahmad, RIAC’s president and CEO.
RIAC’s mutual aid partners throughout the state will participate in the event including public safety personnel from Warwick, Providence and Cranston. Also participating will be representatives from the RI Department of Health, RI Department of Behavioral Healthcare, RI Air National Guard, RI State Police and the RI Disaster Medical Assistance Team.
Volunteers from Salve Regina University, RI Community College, Providence Emergency Management Agency and the RI Red Cross will also be participating in the exercise. Volunteers will be playing the roles of injured passengers, uninjured passengers and friends and family of passengers.
There will be a designated area for the media wishing to cover this event and attending media should gather at the sailboat area on the 1st floor of the terminal between 9:00am and 9:30am. At 9:30 am attending media will be escorted to the tarmac where they can access the trainings from a safe vantage point. This media availability will last from 9:30am to 10:30am only.
Media wishing to cover the event should RSVP to Alicia Seabury at [email protected].
