ROGERS -- A puff of smoke from a school bus set up to represent a crashed airplane began Tuesday's simulation. It ended in a whirlwind of activity as area paramedics and firefighters practiced saving people's lives together.
"It really puts us on our toes as far as patient care," said Capt. Dennis Thurman of the Rogers Fire Department of the practice session.
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Source: Staff Report
Crews from Rogers, Pea Ridge and Northeast Benton County fire departments and those of the medical helicopters from Mercy Hospital and LifeLine trained on what to do if a commercial jet with 12 passengers crashed at the Rogers Municipal Airport.
The simulation is among three happening this week.
"We need to practice this so that we are all on the same page as far as what is expected, and what we need to do when we get there," said Rob Taylor, Northeast Benton County fire chief. Taylor is also a captain with the Rogers department.
Taylor's department responded during the exercise providing an ambulance as it would in a crash incident, he said.
The drill is the first big one this year, Thurman said. The large-scale, simulated crisis -- which included injured people with everything from chest pain to missing legs -- required agencies that usually don't see major incidents to work together, officials said.
A similar plane crash has not happened at Rogers airport in the past 10 years, said David Krutsch, airport manager. The airport has not seen a fatal crash either, with most people walking away from accidents.
Despite not having a fatal crash in years, the drill Tuesday helps departments work smoothly together if an actual emergency happens, Krutsch said.
"Basically, training is critical in the safety of airports in general, and specifically, when it comes to emergency response capabilities," Krutsch said.
At least 20 firefighters were involved in the exercise, Thurman said. The fire was extinguished first. Then, some firefighters used axes to enter the "plane," which is built like a "soda can," he said.
Passengers were taken out, which could have been a dangerous effort, and placed into categories corresponding to how serious their conditions were. College students pretended to injured -- eight were loaded into ambulances and two went in helicopters to hospitals. Two pretended to be dead.
The students, who are studying to become paramedics, emergency medical technicians or fire investigators, said they learned a lot from the practice.
"We wanted to come see what it was like," said Ashley Jackson, a junior student at Crowder College.
Jackson, who was crushed by the airplane, said she felt like she laid in the field for a long time. Paramedics later said there was some initial confusion, but William Hyde, Rogers deputy chief, said the time frame for the exercise, about 45 minutes from start to finish, was good.
"Very quick work," Hyde said.
The training under way at the airport fits into efforts of National Preparedness Month happening this month, Krutsch said. Thurman said the exercises, which will change scenarios today, will show strengths and weaknesses among the departments.
Krutsch and others said they were impressed by participants' efficiency and professionalism during the exercise.
"I thought it went pretty well and was pretty organized," said Lucky Koucky, a fire science student at NorthWest Arkansas Community College. "Everybody was on their game."
NW News on 09/10/2014