VIDEO: Several fire and rescue teams gathered at the University of Illinois’ Willard Airport to participate in an emergency rescue training scenario. Agencies involved included the Savoy and Tolono Fire Departments, Carle Ambulance, and the Champaign County Emergency Management Agency, among others. The exercise aimed to prepare responders for a potential real emergency at the airport, with volunteers acting as victims.
The Executive Director of the University of Illinois-Willard Airport said, “We make all of our partners who help us respond to a real-world event are here, and coordinating with us at the airport. We also have a full-time fire department here at the airport as well staffed 24/7, 365 so, we’re really proud of that but we need mutual aid partners to help in the event of an aircraft accident.” Such training exercises are mandated every three years by the Federal Aviation Administration’s guidelines.
