JACKSON, Wyo. — Anyone driving past the Jackson Hole Airport on Wednesday evening might have assumed they were witnessing an elaborate movie set.
In fact, the airport was hosting an intricate emergency response training exercise to test out its emergency plan, which involves coordinating with mutual aid partners on aircraft rescue, firefighting and emergency medical services. Buckrail photographer Nick Sulzer was on the premises to take in the visually striking scene.
Firefighters played out a rescue scenario involving dummies as well as live humans. The airport arranges the participation of volunteer actors to play passengers.
This kind of training is a requirement of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and involved airport personnel, local fire and EMS teams, and other emergency response partners.
The exercise wasn’t limited to human participants. One of the volunteer actors had a service animal, which represented a realistic passenger demographic in an emergency scenario, according to the airport, since first responders need to be prepared to encounter service animals. During the exercise, responders ensured the service animal remained with its person throughout triage and transport to the hospital.
“A Full-Scale Exercise is considered successful if it provides meaningful lessons and supports continuous improvement,” the airport’s communications team told Buckrail via email. “Wednesday’s exercise reflected a strong, coordinated effort by our community’s best, preparing for the worst. We are very pleased with the strong coordination and professionalism demonstrated by all participating agencies, reflecting our community’s shared commitment to public safety.”
The exercise unfolded in blustery, frigid conditions, adding another layer of complexity to the situation.
