A federally required “red alert” mass- casualty exercise was conducted Thursday at Denver International Airport, in which emergency personnel were faced with the simulated crash of a passenger jet and cargo plane on one of DIA’s runways.
The “collision” occurred on runway 35R and involved real planes belonging to two fictitious airlines, “Denver Air” and “Polywog Cargo,” according to Chuck Cannon, spokesman for the airport.
More than 160 people participated, including DIA employees who played the roles of passengers on a 727 passenger plane, plus police, fire and operations personnel at the airport.
Fire departments and medical personnel from surrounding jurisdictions also participated in the exercise. About 100 observers watched the three-hour drill, including representatives from major U.S. airports, among them Boston’s Logan International, Cannon said.
The passengers simulated a number of injuries, and several junked cars were put near the planes, set on fire and then extinguished by firefighters, Cannon said.
The passengers were treated after they were carried off the “Denver Air” flight, he said.
“We tried to make it as real as we could,” he said.
A red-alert emergency exercise is required at DIA every three years, Cannon said, and the general emergency plan must be tested once a year.
Staff writer Howard Pankratz can be reached at 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
