CLINTON -- If an aircraft crashed an hour away from Altus, how would base and local area officials react? That's the question Altus Air Force Base and Clinton-Sherman airport officials hoped to answer during the major accident response exercise that took place March 30.
The exercise scenario began at 9:19 a.m., said Maj. Russell H. Bartlett, chief of Wing Inspections for the 97th Air Mobility Wing. The exercise simulated an Altus C-5 conducting touch-and-go training at Clinton-Sherman Industrial Airpark near Burns Flat, simulating a crash on the flightline that kills three crewmembers and injures two others.
The Clinton-Sherman Fire Department, along with emergency medical services providers and the Burns Flat volunteer fire department were the first to arrive on scene.
Statistically, most military aircraft crashes do not occur on a military base, Bartlett said. When an emergency occurs more than 25 miles away from the base, the civilian authorities are the first responders, not the military. This is why the base must be able to work with civilian officials to set up a unified command to integrate procedures and offer support -- not to take over.
Bartlett also said that because this exercise involved extended distances, it was not a lifesaving exercise but more of a logistics exercise.
The objective was to evaluate the wing's ability to go an extended distance to handle an emergency response, said Senior Master Sgt. Douglas Channer, superintendent of wing inspections.
Clinton-Sherman is one of the primary auxiliary fields used by Altus AFB for touch-and-go landing training and is located approximately 60 miles from the base.
The exercise played out in real time and the distance from the base forced everyone involved to think an hour to an hour and a half ahead about everything they would need at the scene, Channer said.
The exercise was successful, Bartlett said. "We learned many lessons during this exercise that will prove helpful in future exercises or if the need ever arises to respond to an actual incident. Above all, we proved that Altus AFB is capable of handling a major accident outside our local area."
Post a Comment
