EMERGENCY TRAINING EXERCISE AT CITY AIRPORT - NEWS RELEASE - MARCH 2023
Multi-agency collaboration in preparation for potential emergency responses.
The City of Campbell River (the City) is hosting an emergency training exercise at the Campbell River Airport (YBL) on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A simulated Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) will be activated to support the exercise, following all protocols that would be in place in a real-life scenario. The goal of the exercise is to ensure that all responding agencies are prepared and coordinated in the event of an emergency, including; BC Ambulance, Health Emergency Management BC, RCMP, Transport Canada, Strathcona Regional District, local airlines, NAV Canada, and City Fire Department and YBL staff.
Emergency response vehicles and personnel will be on-site and may be visible to patrons of the airport and members of the public in the area. Access to the exercise area will be restricted to authorized personnel only. The City asks the public and media to avoid the exercise locations and respect all signage in place. No impact on regular airport operations is anticipated.
Alertable, an emergency notification system, will be used ahead of the exercise to advise the public of the training taking place. The City encourages the public to register with Alertable and download the App today to be alerted to potential natural disasters, severe weather, and other emergency events in the future. Alerts can be sent directly to telephones, smartphones, tablets, computers, and home smart devices. Sign up for Alertable at srd.ca/alerts.
“Safety is our number one priority and exercises like this provide the opportunity for multiple local agencies and the airport to test their response plans and gain key learning to respond to an emergency involving an aircraft,” stated Dennis Brodie, Airport Manager. “The exercise is required as part of the airport’s certification through Transport Canada but is also an extremely valuable tool in emergency preparedness and multi-agency collaboration.”
Lessons learned from the exercise will be used to update response plans and reinforce collective emergency response preparedness at all levels.
To learn more about City emergency planning, visit campbellriver.ca/emergencies.