YEG conducts emergency training exercise

The Edmonton International Airport conducted a full-scale emergency training exercise on Sept. 8.

This brought together emergency crews from across the region, including RCMP, EMS, and local fire services, to conduct a simulated training exercise ahead of Canadian Airports Safety Week on Sept. 21-25. Erin Isfeld, Corporate Communications Manager with YEG, says that the exercise served as a test for both airport officials as well as local emergency services.

"Many of those partners would be responding in a situation like that," said Isfeld. "It's a great relationship that we have with all of those folks. So, when we have an actual emergency, it's great to have those relationships already built so we know we can count on them because they've already been through it before." 

The simulation served as a way for all involved parties to determine the best course of action for dealing with an imminent emergency. During the exercise, passengers and visitors at the airport observed simulated emergency activity, including emergency vehicles, lights, and sounds, both within and outside the terminal. 

"It was really coming together as one team, challenging ourselves, understanding what potentially we may need to do in that situation, and the lessons that come out of that," said Isfeld. "It was a situation where we had an airline come in with some issues with the landing, so we really had no explanation of what we would be up against."

The primary goal of Canadian Airports Safety Week is to promote a strong, proactive safety culture and encourage safe, healthy work practices among all airport employees.