Sioux City, Iowa -- Members of the 185th Air Refueling Wing Fire Department participated in a Federal Aviation Administration directed mass casualty exercise at the Sioux Gateway Airport Brig. Gen Bud Day Field in Sioux City Iowa, May 1, 2021.
185th Fire Chief, Chief Master Sergeant Michael Albrecht said that the 185th has a major role in fire protection at the Sioux Gateway Airport.
“The 185th Air Refiling Wing Fire Department is the primary fire protection for all of the aircraft that operate at Sioux Gateway Airport. We cover the commercial, corporate, business and private aircraft that fly in and out of Sioux Gateway Airport, General Bud Day Field,” said Albrecht.
According to Albrecht the large mass casualty exercise is required every three years by the FAA for the airport to remain certified to allow commercial operations. Albrecht also said that the 185th Fire Department was trained and ready.
“We do smaller scale training that when you put it all together, it leads to all the skills and abilities you need to respond to a large scale disaster,” said Albrecht.
The exercise included the use of buses and cars to simulate aircraft on a runway and medical helicopters and ambulances to transport live role players as patients to local hospitals.
“We’re actually having the role players, there will be make up on them to simulate injuries that the hospital emergency rooms will respond to as the patients get transported to the hospital to get treated so it’s a very realistic situation, very realistic scenario,” said Albrecht.
The Exercise, which included over 100 different participants from various organizations, such as the Sioux City Fire Rescue, Sioux City EMS, Woodbury County EOC, Sgt. Bluff Fire, Salix Fire, Bronson Fire, Lawton Fire, WINGS and Mercy One, Unity Point Hospital, Mercy One Hospital, Sioux City Police Department, and Sioux Gateway Airport personnel.