Los Angeles World Airports successfully completed its triennial full-scale emergency response exercise at LAX with the aid of more than 400 participants including first responders, law enforcement, airport staff and volunteers, it was announced Thursday.
The exercise, known as AIREX, simulated an aircraft emergency to test the airport’s emergency plan and operational readiness, as required by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Teams conducted the three-hour exercise at the LAX Flight Path Museum, where participants demonstrated their emergency response capabilities. LAX had several observers — representatives from airlines, state and local agencies, and the U.S. Department of State, among others.
“The safety of our guests, employees, airline partners and the entire airport community is our top priority, and exercises like AIREX are essential to maintaining our operational readiness,” Doug Webster, chief operations and maintenance officer for LAWA, said in a statement.
The drill tested a range of emergency response functions such as unified command establishment, firefighting, rescue operations, triage of injured passengers and coordination between first responders. Of the 400 participants, more than 150 served as “passengers” who suffered various injuries.
The FAA requires the full-scale exercise at least once every three years. It is intended to inform and guide LAWA officials to better refine emergency response plans at LAX.