VIDEO: Emergency responders sprang into action Friday morning at Minot International Airport, but it was only a drill. They practiced what they would do in the event of a real plane crash. Friday morningโs scene at the Minot airport looked scary and real at first glance, but it was just a drill, and no one was hurt. At least 50 people volunteered their time as actors for this exercise, joined by first responders.
Kids like Aubrey, whoโs just 10 years old, are joining in for the first time. โBeing like, โWhatโs going on? Whereโs my mom?โ and Iโll kind of be like in pain,โ said Aubrey. Airmen stationed at Minot Air Force Base also took part in the simulated plane crash. Twenty-two-year-old Kayla Young said sheโs no stranger to this kind of scenario. Sheโs done something similar during a base exercise, so Fridayโs simulation felt familiar.
โMe, Iโm going to play the pilotโs wifeโestranged wifeโso Iโm excited for that. But I also think it builds confidence, like seeing how the department reacts to it. I think it would make me feel better, being like โOkay, they know what theyโre doing,โโ said Young. The drill also gave the chance for agencies to try out their new equipment.
Minot Airport tested its new Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting truck. Paramedics took some of the actors to Trinity Health. Hospital staff worked on them in the new emergency trauma center. It was built in 2023. Young said volunteer opportunities like this bridge the gap between community members and those who serve.
