{"id":28082,"date":"2024-04-19T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-19T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/emergency-workers-simulate-plane-crash-at-durango-airport\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T06:20:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T06:20:22","slug":"emergency-workers-simulate-plane-crash-at-durango-airport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/emergency-workers-simulate-plane-crash-at-durango-airport\/","title":{"rendered":"Emergency workers simulate plane crash at Durango airport"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Emergency
Emergency personnel take part in an emergency training exercise simulating a plane crash Wednesday at the Durango-La Plata County Airport. Volunteers played the role of passengers with various mock injuries. The exercise occurs every three years in accordance with federal aviation regulations, although smaller drills are carried out more frequently. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

DURANGO-LA PLATA AIRPORT \u2013 Although aviation accidents can theoretically happen at any time, commercial air travel remains the safest mode of transportation in the United States.<\/p>\n

Paradoxically, the rareness of plane crashes and aviation accidents means first responders, emergency medical services and law enforcement don\u2019t often gain experience dealing with real incidents.<\/p>\n

But it is vital for those agencies to know what to do in case an incident does occur.<\/p>\n

Durango-La Plata County Airport conducted its triannual emergency training exercise Wednesday with law enforcement agencies, fire departments, their respective EMS crews and about 70 volunteers.<\/p>\n

Nearly 200 people participated in the training.<\/p>\n

The training exercise simulated a scenario fit for cinema in which something went wrong as a commercial aircraft was landing, causing a domino effect of chaos where the plane veered off the runway, causing a breach of the fuselage and a resulting fire.<\/p>\n

Two school buses lent by Ignacio School District for the exercise were parked one in front of the other to represent an aircraft fuselage, DRO Aviation Director Tony Vicari said.<\/p>\n

\"Amanda
Amanda Fender shows her head injury makeup on Wednesday. She was one of about 70 volunteers participating in an emergency training exercise simulating a plane crash at the Durango-La Plata County Airport. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The training is critical for area first responders and law enforcement because it allowed agencies to practice mutual responses, he said.<\/p>\n

La Plata County Sheriff\u2019s Office Deputy Erling Antony said, \u201cYou can\u2019t get the same amount of knowledge if you don\u2019t participate. So it\u2019s a great time to work with all the agencies that we work with on a daily basis.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the exercise also served as a chance for volunteers to meet their first responders, educate themselves about emergency responses and stretch their acting muscles.<\/p>\n

Before 8 a.m., volunteers and first responders gathered inside a hangar at DRO to check in before the exercise. One-by-one, volunteers sat down with a makeup artist who transformed them into convincing crash victims.<\/p>\n

Some volunteers were made up with simple bruises or busted lips, fake blood dried midstream down their chins. Others had more intense pretend injuries with revolting gashes on their foreheads or debris like glass or steel sticking out of appendages.<\/p>\n

One woman\u2019s costume incorporated what appeared to be a pipe jutting out of her chest.<\/p>\n

\"Volunteers
Volunteers took part in an emergency training exercise Wednesday at Durango-La Plata County Airport. The exercise simulated a scenario in which a commercial aircraft veered off the runway on landing and resulted in a fire. Some volunteers, sporting gnarly makeup to depict serious injuries, were taken to area hospitals by emergency medical services. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s fun to work with the folks and get them out here,\u201d Vicari said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s very serious. Obviously, we\u2019re mocking up a potentially major accident that would be a very serious endeavor if it ever actually happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I think at the same time, the group understands how to gain knowledge out of it and be serious about it but also have fun working as a team,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Durango resident Carrie Peterson was among the volunteers with more gruesome mock-up injuries. A jagged piece of debris was fixed to her thigh with dark red, almost burgundy fake blood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was on a plane and it crashed. I don\u2019t know anything else,\u201d she said, playing the part provided to her on a patient card with basic information about her simulated injuries, symptoms and behavior.<\/p>\n

\"Emergency
Emergency personnel assist Tom Johnson, who portrayed an uncooperative patient suffering a head injury, during an emergency training exercise Wednesday at the Durango-La Plata County Airport. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Every volunteer received a patient card, although the injuries and associated character notes differed from card to card. Some people were instructed to act shaken but awake, alert and responsive. Others were asked to demonstrate confusion and to perhaps act uncooperatively. Some volunteers needed to play dead.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you have a Band-Aid?\u201d Peterson said.<\/p>\n

Breaking character, she said she volunteered to play a patient because she works in the medical field and she wants to know people are being trained as best they can be.<\/p>\n

The training exercise<\/div>\n

Volunteers were loaded into vans and trucked to the training site on an airfield northeast of the DRO terminal. They loaded onto the buses and the exercise began shortly after.<\/p>\n

Vicari said the exercise would follow the protocol for a real-life incident. As he predicted, DRO Aircraft Rescue Firefighting was the first on scene. Crews unloaded a hose from a fire truck and dragged it to the buses, although they spared volunteers from an actual hosedown.<\/p>\n

By that time, volunteers were starting to shuffle out of the school buses, some appearing dazed. One volunteer limped loosely and aimlessly along in a dazed manner like a George Romero-inspired zombie.<\/p>\n

Several La Plata County Sheriff\u2019s Office deputies were next on the scene, which is how such a scenario would likely play out in real life.<\/p>\n

\"Emergency
Emergency personnel took part in an emergency training exercise depicting a plane crash at the Durango-La Plata County Airport on Wednesday. First responders from Pagosa Springs, Bayfield, Ignacio and Durango helped passengers \u2013 volunteer actors \u2013 with various injuries after they climbed out of two school buses representing a damaged aircraft fuselage. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cOur goal as law enforcement would be to isolate the crew and the pilots to maintain the integrity of (the investigation) to make sure that, you know, pilots don\u2019t work together to get their stories straight,\u201d Antony said.<\/p>\n

From there, sheriff\u2019s deputies would assist in treating people\u2019s injuries.<\/p>\n

He said law enforcement can treat extraordinary hemorrhaging and major bleeding wounds with chest seals, hemostatic agents and pressure bandages.<\/p>\n

Durango Fire Protection District trucks and fire engines were next on scene. Firefighters guided the mock patients to spots in the grass away from the incident site where they sat them and laid them down according to the severity of their injuries.<\/p>\n

\"Melissa
Melissa Kiraly lies the ground as emergency medical technicians assess her on Wednesday during an emergency training exercise as part of a plane crash scenario at the Durango-La Plata County Airport. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Volunteer Tom Johnson, whose patient card instructed him to act \u201cscared and confused, not able to follow simple directions and alert with altered mental status,\u201d would repeatedly get up and walk away after firefighters sat him down. At one point, he took a swing at one of the firefighters.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a natural pain in the ass, so you know, just anything we can do to support these guys to help make it more realistic,\u201d he said after the exercise. \u201c\u2026 There\u2019s always somebody who wants to get up and wander around.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vicari said some strengths and weaknesses were apparent during the training. Radio communications, including initial dispatch and tactical channel breakouts were strong as was interagency collaboration.<\/p>\n

But managing evacuating passengers with limited immediate emergency response staff challenging and more review is needed to improve the process.<\/p>\n

Additionally, volunteers said more improvements like shade, water and snacks could be made available in the field.<\/p>\n

cburney@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"Sheri
Sheri Reeces, right, does makeup that resembles injuries of a pipe embedded in the chest of Melissa Kiraly on Wednesday as part of an emergency training exercise of a plane crash at the Durango-La Plata County Airport. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"First
First responders from Pagosa Springs, Bayfield, Ignacio and Durango helped passengers \u2013 volunteer actors \u2013 with various injuries at an emergency training exercise at the Durango-La Plata County Airport on Wednesday. The exercise simulated a plane crash and required first responders to respond to the scene and triage to help wounded passengers. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Durango-La
Durango-La Plata County Airport Aviation Director Tony Vicari, right, second from the end of the table, leads the command center on Wednesday during the emergency training exercise of a plane crash at the airport. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

70 volunteers dress in gory makeup: \u2018Anything we can do to … make it more realistic\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28083,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[950,915,971,28,52,1310],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-28082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-durango","tag-durango-la-plata-county-airport","tag-emergency-planning","tag-headlines","tag-law-enforcement","tag-safety-of-citizens"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28082","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28082"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28082\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80302,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28082\/revisions\/80302"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28083"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28082"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28082"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28082"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=28082"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}