Residents and travelers near the Colorado Springs Airport should expect an unusual but planned scene Wednesday morning, as a large-scale training exercise — not a real incident — brings a surge of emergency activity to the facility.
Several regional agencies are taking part in the exercise, designed to assess and strengthen the emergency readiness of both airport staff and area response organizations. Among the participating bodies are the City of Colorado Springs, the fire and police departments, and the Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management.
The drill is scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to noon. Members of the public can expect a heightened concentration of emergency vehicles in the vicinity, as well as actors who will be portraying injured victims. Smoke and flames may also become visible along the northwest edge of airport property.
Officials want to be clear that no genuine emergency will be occurring and that flight operations at the airport will proceed normally throughout. Airport officials described the purpose of the training as ensuring that emergency responses to the facility remain "top-notch." Anyone who spots activity connected to the exercise is asked to avoid calling 911.
The drill satisfies a Federal Aviation Administration rule mandating that airports carry out a full-scale emergency exercise on a three-year cycle.
It is not yet known whether airport or city officials will release a public after-action summary once the exercise wraps up Wednesday.