Airport emergency exercise held at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport said they worked with multiple emergency agencies in the area to conduct a full-scale airport emergency plan exercise on Thursday, October 22, at 8 a.m.

Officials said the drill did not interfere with the airports regular operations and all flights departed on schedule. They state the purpose of the exercise is to provide the opportunity for various agencies in the area to work collectively to enhance response skills for aviation mass casualty incidents.

Local residents and airport visitors were advised that emergency vehicles and other official traffic were involved in the exercise along with some controlled fire and smoke, according to officials.

Officials said the full-scale exercise was conduced in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration regulations, which require on-property live drills every three years.

St. Joseph’s/ Candler participated in the exercise with the airport. As part of the exercise, officials said employees with St. Joseph’s Hospital simulated a coordinated medical response for receiving patients injured in a mass casualty incident involving a commercial aircraft.

Officials said employees with St. Joseph’s/Candler set up a decontamination tent and processed dozens of patients, simulated by student volunteers from Georgia Southern University, through the hospital’s emergency department. Depending on the simulated patient profiles, they were triaged and directed to other designated areas of the hospital such as the OR.

“Regular hospital services and activities were not impacted by the exercise,” said St. Joseph’s/Candler. “Such exercises allow St. Joseph’s/Candler to asses its emergency response plans, which are regularly reviewed and evaluated. Today’s exercise helps St. Joseph’s/Candler strategize for and anticipate a patient surge that could occur during a mass casualty event.”