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Preparing for airplane crash
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Posted on Jul 27 2000
At Issue: A rehearsal last week among agencies in the event of an airplane crash.
Our View: A good exercise that must be done more frequently to get
everybody ready for it.
The Koblerville Community was taken by surprise last week when dozens of police vehicles, fire trucks and EMT teams converged on its main highway. Loud and persistent sirens inundated the calm evening, coupled by red lights flashing all over.
It was a collective inter-agency exercise in preparation for an air disaster here.
While the exercise saw a relaxed group of officers, EMTs and firemen, the adrenaline level would be entirely different if it were a real disaster situation.
Unthinking critics were quick to lip-off “basta de….” Well, we have never seen a major airplane crash on this island and it is better to prepare for it now while we have the time. The closest airline disaster that we had anywhere nearby in recent years was on Guam when Korean Airlines plunged into a mountain area.
In fact, we have never had anything of a major disaster other than super typhoons that pulped the islands in mid or year’s end–Super typhoons Jean in 1968 and Kim in 1987. There was sufficient advisory to prepare the local populace to board up or head to typhoon shelters.
Airplane crashes or volcanic eruptions never come with an advisory. It simply happens and it is for this reason that the recent exercise ought to be frequently held to prepare key agencies refine their specific roles so it becomes second nature.
The exercise should include such major mishaps as attending to a huge hotel fire, specifically, rescuing hotel guests from the second floor up. Then there’s the unpredictable temblor that now frequents Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, north and west of the CNMI. This too should be taken into consideration so that inter-agency coordination is refined for that day when most people go through their regular daily routine or fast asleep. Let’s prepare for it while we have time in our hands. Si Yuus Maase`!
