Tulsa-area emergency responders take part in a training exercise at airport
May 31--Emergency personnel used real experiences to deal with the aftermath of a simulated tornado during a large-scale disaster drill Thursday at Tulsa International Airport.
Crews responded to a staged disaster zone where a tornado had just hit the airport the day after a tornado struck southern Tulsa County, stretching resources thin.
The tornado scenario was especially relevant this week after the devastating storm that hit Moore last week, though the timing was a coincidence, officials said.
The Tulsa Fire and Police departments, EMSA and other area federal and local law enforcement agencies were at the airport Thursday morning to carry out the drill. In all, about 20 different agencies participated.
The drills are required every three years by federal aviation regulations.
"It allows us to identify any weaknesses in the system and correct those," said Daniel Meier, air service and business development coordinator at the airport.
Actors wearing fake blood with multiple injuries were lying across a staged debris field when emergency responders arrived at the south side of the airport's cargo area. The scenario included an airplane that had been hit by the tornado while on the Tarmac, resulting in multiple casualties.
Meier said the drill is not just for airport personnel to test their response capability.
"This is designed to test the entire city," he said.
A tornado has hit Tulsa's airport before. An EF1 tornado struck the terminal on April 1, 2006, during the night and damaged aircraft and vehicles but caused no injuries.
A larger tornado hit the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport on April 22, 2011. That tornado struck while passengers were in the terminal and caused damage.
Meier said those incidents were key in planning Thursday's drill.
"We've taken some scenes from both of those and implemented them into this scenario," he said.
Planning for the drill started in September and was pushed back a week because of the real tornado response in Moore, he said.
Tulsa Fire Capt. Stan May said the drill is a good opportunity for firefighters and other first responders who might not work at the airport often to learn how to do so.
"Everyone here needs to know how to clear themselves with the tower," he said. "It helps us work with them."
Operations at the airport continued uninterrupted during the drills, Meier said.
Evaluators from various agencies observed the drill and will assess the response, he said.
Jerry Wofford 918-581-8310
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