MOLINE, Ill. — Every three years, local first responders come together at the Quad Cities International Airport to participate in an airport disaster drill.
More than 100 first responders participated in the simulation, alongside 50 volunteers who played the role of victims. Moline Fire Department's Deputy Fire Chief Kris Johnson says doing the drill for many years has always been valuable to the department.
"A day like this is an opportunity for multiple agencies that come together with different procedures and work together to facilitate the exercise," Johnson said. "You can try to do it on paper or try to plan out but until you put all the vehicles, all the personnel in an area, you really start to identify the weakness in our plan and from there we can work on to do better together."
During the drill, crews practiced controlling fires and treating injured victims. Some would be transported to local hospitals as part of the simulation. Quad Cities International Airport Public Safety Manager Jeff Swan says volunteers play a huge role in the drill.
"They come in to do the triage and they help our crew see the fake blood, cuts, and bruises. It gives them the opportunity to identify the injuries," Swan said. "This type of scenario isn't just exclusive to airports, it can happen during a Greyhound trip or even a semi or anywhere that is carrying multiple people. We never want to apply these skills to a real scenario but when the time comes, we will be ready for it."
This is the first time all entities have been able to participate in the drill since 2017. Only airport employees participated in the drill in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. First responders who participated in the drill included Moline, Rock Island, Coal Valley, Genesis Health System, and UnityPoint hospitals.