THE Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) will, on November 6, demonstrate how effective will be its rescue response to a plane crash.

That day, a full-scale exercise will be unleashed to test the airport’s emergency response while providing hands-on experience for airline staff, hospitals, fire service, security and other personnel.
During the simulated operation, personnel will respond, like in a real scenario, including with the use of sirens, firefighting equipment and emergency vehicles.
An Airport Emergency Committee, which usually plans for any such occurrence, began preparations more than six months ago in developing and coordinating the logistics for a large-scale event.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CJIA, Mr. Ramesh Ghir explained that “the simulation is a great opportunity to test the airport’s readiness to respond to any emergency.”
“We always have to ensure that key airport stakeholders and first responders are aware of their roles in the event of an emergency where timing and coordination are key elements to saving lives and expensive assets. The full scale emergency exercise takes place every two years and is a requirement of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO),” he stated.
Meanwhile, a script outlines exactly what areas will be tested during the exercise, the criterion for which was crafted by experts from various law enforcement and health agencies.

“The element of surprise is key. The first responders will be to the scene of the accident and those personnel will be tested on how they will react in a real emergency when making decisions,” said Andre Kellman, Deputy Operations Manager of CJIA, who is coordinating the persons involved in the exercise.
A sign test was conducted on October 23 at the proposed crash site and, according to Kellman, clear signs are important because they lessen the chaos and traffic congestion during a “real life incident”.
“Traffic control is a major challenge, so we want to get the signs right which will guide the Police and other emergency crew to the scene,” he told Committee members.
Moreover, the roles that each agency will play in the operation were also cemented at the October 23 meeting.
The Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Customs and Immigration, Ministry of Health, Caribbean Airlines, Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Civil Defence Commission (CDC) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) are among the stakeholders in the November simulation exercise.