MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - First responders took their training to another level after conducting an emergency exercise at Miami International Airport.
Miami-Dade Aviation and Fire Rescue departments held a full-scale preparedness drill just after 9 a.m., Wednesday.
It was just a drill with more than 100 passengers on board when a fire broke out.
They evacuated and scattered through the air field at MIA.
“We train daily here with our neighboring partners, and we’re just testing our abilities,” Miami-Dade Fire Rescue firefighter Al Cruz said.
Miami-Dade Aviation, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue as well as other law enforcement agencies put their abilities to the test with Miami-Dade high school students playing the role of the passengers.
“It came really fast, they tagged us really fast. They asked if we were OK the second we got off the slide,” said a student. “Everything was so fast, and it was just like we had help, so I knew I was going to get help. It was automatically in my head, I’m like, OK, now I know in a real life scenario, I’m going to get just as much help, if not more.”
The Federal Aviation Administration requires the emergency drill to be held every three years so officials can test and re-evaluate the airport’s plan and response.
“We’re going to spend the rest of the afternoon debriefing the drill, looking at footage, and reviewing what we could’ve done better, what we did very well,” Miami-Dade Aviation representative Ken Pyatt said. “Then there’s an after drill report that comes out that we file.”
The drill is also a learning experience for the dozens of high school volunteers involved.
“It’s cool because it gives you the real life experience,” said a student. “Now I feel like I’ll know what to do.”
The high school students who volunteered for the emergency drill said it was a one of a kind experience and that it counts for their community service hours.
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