REDMOND, OR -- First responders across the area will take part in a full-scale emergency drill at the Redmond Airport Wednesday. 

Airport Security Manager Jayde Hawkins tells KBND News they will practice responding to a commercial passenger aircraft disaster, “We are required by law, once every three years, to do a full-scale emergency drill, just to make sure we are in good working order with our local emergency services, as far as if we were ever to get faced with a real scenario; a real event. Then, we have hands-on training, so we’re better able to address those situations if they were to ever come up.”

Hawkins says the full-scale disaster exercise will take place from 9 to 1 but you won’t see much inside the terminal, “It would be the passengers that are going to be on-board aircraft that are taxiing out to take off. At the time of departure, off to the east side of the airport, they might see quite a bit of emergency service vehicles and activity happening out on the far side of the airfield."

She says about 100 responders will take part, “We have units coming from all the outlying agencies. If we were to have an incident with a larger aircraft, then obviously we’re going to be dealing with more passengers and more potential victims.” 

Those victims will be portrayed by around 35 actors so responders can triage mock injuries, transport victims and practice reunifying passengers with family.

“It’s about three years of work coming into play for this event and we are just making sure that if we ever have a real scenario that we are well equipped to handle it as best as we can,” said Hawkins.