21 January 2008
Jersey Airport is to hold a full scale emergency exercise on Wednesday 23 January 2008 between 19:00 hrs and 21:00 hrs. It is being carried out in accordance with regulatory requirements to test whether the airport and associated emergency services have the capability and resources to respond to and manage a major incident.
The exercise will involve teams from the Fire & Rescue Services, States of Jersey Police Force and Ambulance Service together with airport personnel. Airlines have also been briefed and although the airport terminal will remain open, flying will be suspended during the period of the exercise.
Exact details of the exercise are not being disclosed at this stage to ensure that it is kept as realistic as possible for the teams involved. The scenario will include the rescue of injured casualties, played by volunteers, from an aircraft fuselage.
Although the emergency exercise will take place within the airport perimeter it will be away from the main runaway and members of the public will not be able to observe. However, the Emergency Planning Group is keen to reassure members of the public that this is purely an exercise and that they should not be alarmed by any of the activity or noise taking place at the airport or on the approach roads.
The group decided that no major roads should be closed during the exercise but members of the Honorary Police will be stationed in the roads leading up to the airport to ensure emergency service vehicles have unimpeded access.
A number of observers have been invited to watch the incident, including the Island’s Emergency Planning Officer, Michael Long and the Assistant Minister for Economic Development, Deputy Alan Maclean, who has political responsibility for the airport.
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