Drill mixes crash and hostages
Crow Wing County mock disaster drill
Right on schedule, emergency personnel swarmed Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport Thursday afternoon after it was reported two airplanes collided over the runway.
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They all knew it was going to happen, just not the particulars. That was the intent of the mock disaster drill coordinated by the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department - to train and to work on coordination and communication between several agencies.
A Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport firefighting crew doused a large fire started off an airport runway Thursday during a disaster training scenario in which two airplanes - one containing hostages and an explosive device - collided mid-air at the airport. Brainerd Dispatch/Kelly Humphrey» Purchase reprints of this photo.
"Primarily, we want to test our ability to keep track of all this stuff, to keep people safe and to make sure we have the same number of people come out of the woods that we put into the woods, and those kinds of practical things," said Sheriff's Capt. Neal Gaalswyk, who accompanied several observers during the disaster drill.
The scenario:
At 1:55 p.m. Tuesday the sheriff's department received a 911 call about a suspected explosive device found in a large vehicle near the airport terminal. It also was reported that people had been taken hostage and put into a private aircraft.
At 1:58 p.m., a Mesaba flight with 35 people about was en route to the airport but had no communication with the smaller plane in which the hostages were held.
Members of the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Mounted Patrol took to the woods to look for "survivors." Brainerd Dispatch/Kelly Humphrey» Purchase reprints of this photo.
At 2 p.m. there was a mid-air collision between the two planes. The Mesaba airplane crashed just off the airport runway. The smaller plane crashed near French Rapids along the Mississippi River.
The mock disaster kicked off with the lighting of two large fires near an old school bus off one of the airport's runways. The school bus, holding several would-be victims, represented the Mesaba airplane and the fires represented burning debris from the mid-air collision.
Airport firefighters were assisted by Brainerd, Crosby and Ironton firefighters in suppressing the fire and checking on the victims, who wore tags listing their injuries, including severed hands and impalements.
Members of the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Mounted Patrol guided their horses through the woods looking for survivors near French Rapids, while the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Boat and Water Patrol and Dive Team assembled at the Mississippi River to search for victims and debris in the water.
A debris field consisting of cardboard boxes and a mannequin representing a dead body were set up along a trail near French Rapids.
A member of the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Dive Team on Thursday pulled himself out of the Mississippi River at French Rapids while training during the mock disaster in which two airplanes collided near the airport, sending debris and victims into the river.» Purchase reprints of this photo.
With two suspected explosive devices found as part of the drill, one near the terminal and one in the woods near French Rapids, the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Bomb Squad deployed robots to look for and remove the devices.
"The goal with the bomb squad is, we want to test our ability to simultaneously respond to two events and we want to test, in a wooded area, the ability of the robot to traverse that terrain," Gaalswyk said.
Near the terminal, the robot performed as designed, removing a suspicious device - actually an old bowling ball bag - and depositing it into the disposal unit.
On the wooded trail at French Rapids, the robot struggled until it threw one of its tracks. There were several instances of things not going to plan, such as incorrect information on the number of people playing victims and officers receiving incorrect information about where things should be.
Those problems served a purpose by allowing emergency personnel to know how to respond correctly to adverse situations.
"That's how it could be during a real incident," Gaalswyk said. "Sometimes we start working with bad or incomplete information."
Participants included fire departments from Brainerd, Crosby, Ironton; the Brainerd Police Department; Mesaba Airlines; the Transportation Security Administration; Crosby Ambulance Service; North Ambulance; Cuyuna Regional Medical Center; St. Joseph's Medical Center; Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport fire personnel and other staff; and the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Bomb Squad, Dive Team, Mounted Patrol and deputies.
In total, about 180 people were involved, said Crow Wing County Emergency Management Director John Bowen.
"It went good, really good," Bowen said "There were a lot of lessons to be learned but I think a lot of good things happened today, too."
MATT ERICKSON may be reached at matt.erickson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5857.