Boise Airport to Complete Disaster Exercise on May 25, 2016

Boise, Idaho - The Boise Airport, as a certificate Class 1 Airport, is required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to hold a full scale emergency exercise every three years. The airport exercise will simulate an aircraft crash on the airfield and will include multiple other agencies to test the preparedness of our community to handle a major aviation accident at the Boise Airport. While this is mandatory FAA training for U.S. airports, each participating agency has the opportunity to achieve and refine their training skills as well.

This triennial exercise allows the airport and first response agencies to evaluate emergency response systems, techniques, capabilities, and communication networks as they relate to a major aircraft incident. This will be a staged scenario played out over a condensed timeline, the action will appear genuine, complete with a smoking aircraft and volunteers made up to simulate injured persons and distraught 'family' members.

The exercise will take place on the airport training strip (3rd runway) south of Gowen Road and will utilize the Boeing 727 aircraft donated by FedEx for airport emergency training purposes in 2011. There will also be elements of the exercise that take place in the terminal; including the ticket counter, conference rooms and other public areas.

Public should be advised that there will be actors participating as volunteers and should not be alarmed during the duration of the exercise from 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM.

Southwest Airlines volunteered to be the host airline in this year's event.

The Scenario
A 737-800 aircraft carrying 120 passengers and five crew members is headed to Boise. The aircraft lands on runway 28L/10R, which is closed due to construction. The aircraft crashes into construction equipment and a fire breaks out over the right wing of the aircraft. There are multiple injuries and fatalities. 

Participating Agencies
Boise Airport
Boise Fire Department
Boise Police Department
Ada County Dispatch
Ada County Emergency Management
Ada County Paramedics
Ada County Coroner
Idaho State Communications
Central District Health
St. Luke's Hospital
Air St. Luke's
Saint Alphonsus Hospital
Veteran Affairs Medical Center
The Red Cross
Idaho Air National Guard
Southwest Airlines 

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About the Boise Airport (BOI)
The Boise Airport is a municipally owned entity operating as a self-supporting enterprise. No City of Boise general funds are used to operate the airport. The airport is served by six airlines which offer daily service to 20 nonstop cities. In 2015, nearly three million passengers traveled through the Boise Airport.