It's a scene you never hope to see. But, it's one where being prepared can make all the difference.
You just want to be able to know your position, know what you have to do if you're ever faced with this sort of incident," said Denise Price, Airport Assistant Director of Public Safety.
Multiple volunteer agencies across Luzerne County trained for worst-case scenarios at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport on Monday. It's part of a full-scale training that happens every three years.
And even in this training, first responders, like Alysa Stone, know every second counts.
"It's basically what would happen if we did have an emergency. We put on the sirens and roll out of the firehouse," said Stone.
Stone is a full-time firefighter, & EMS worker for the airport. She, along with volunteers from EMS and fire departments throughout the county, were evaluated on every scenario, from extinguishing plane fires to beginning triage on victims.
"A few years ago, something came up where we did have to roll and outdo this. So, doing it at least once a year and getting that practice in is really important,"
The large-scale drills included real people scenarios, where volunteers, like Brenda Badilla, acted as a victim of a plane crash.
"I didn't know it was going to get set on fire, I didn't know all these fire trucks and everything were going to be here," said Badilla.
Badilla is a Marywood University aviation management student. She says training for this not only helps responders but students just like her, looking to be a commercial airline pilot.
"These are the people that are going to help me if I'm ever in trouble, so they seem very prepared," she said.
The training gives responders the knowledge to act fast when minutes matter most.
"If you don't have that information or practice when the time comes, and you do have to roll out, a lot of people freeze up," said Stone.
The training will continue throughout the week at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, where there will be flashing lights and emergency vehicles on site. Flight schedules will not be impacted.
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