Portland, Maine, Jetport Carries Out Simulated Plane Crash Training

If you heard or saw a large-scale commotion at the Portland International Jetport over the weekend, don't worry.

Though it would have looked like a real emergency it was just a training.

A training, however, that officials say is critical to keep the skills of airport first responders sharp.

According to WGME 13, the simulated disaster happened on Saturday, September 14, in Portland. That's when more than 75 volunteers took part in a simulated plane crash response.

Not only is it something the jetport likes to stay on top of, but it's also required to be done by the Federal Aviation Administration every 36 months, the news station reported.

WGME said the United States Coast Guard, several local departments and even the Wet Team from Cape Elizabeth joined fire crews at the airport in the simulation.

The news station went on to say that the point of these simulations is to make sure the efficiency and effectiveness of the jetport's emergency response plan is up to snuff. The overall goal is to identify weaknesses or failures in the emergency response protocol.

Zach Sundquit, Assistant Airport Director at PWM, told WGME in part about Saturday's training,

“This is a full-scale exercise, really designed to really test the entire system to make sure we are ready in the event we have an aircraft accident here. We are all running through this drill trying to find points of failure through our own systems, so that we can build a better mouse trap to ensure that we are safer moving forward,”

PWM officials said that the Portland Jetport was able to maintain business as usual for travelers even while the simulation was in progress, according to the news station.