Logan Airport Drill Simulates Plane Crash Response
BOSTON (CBS) - It was only a drill.
Massport ran a large-scale emergency response drill at Logan Airport Friday morning.
It started at 8:30 a.m. at the end of Runway 15 and lasted a few hours.
The airport was open during the exercise.
Massport says this is required every three years by the Federal Aviation Administration. Massport Fire Rescue Chief Robert Donahue says they do the drills more often than the FAA requirement.
"Here in Boston, we do it at least annually," he told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker, "But at much greater frequency as well."
The drill involved a Boeing 787 accident, along with a fire scenario which included the evacuation of passengers from a plane. Donahue says all of this is to test coordination, communication, and response in the event of an actual emergency at the airport.
"We operate much like a sports team," he said. "We plan together, we pre-plan together, and then we execute."
About 1,000 people participated in the drill.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker reports