Northeast News
June 17, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Missouri —If you’re traveling Thursday, June 18, don’t be alarmed if you see explosions at the airport. Everything is fine.

The Kansas City, Mo., Aviation Department, in cooperation with numerous community agencies, will conduct a full-scale Emergency Exercise at Kansas City International Airport (KCI) from 10 a.m. – noon Thursday, June 18. According to a press release from Joe McBride, Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications for the Kansas City Aviation Department, this exercise is being held to evaluate Kansas City’s multi-agency response and readiness to a simulated aircraft emergency.

KCI will set-up a scenario where local businesses, government agencies, hospitals, fire departments, police departments and emergency preparedness officials can rehearse their roles in response to an aircraft crash. The exercise will have many realistic components including explosions, smoke generators, debris on the airfield and volunteers acting as injured passengers.

Travelers using KCI at the time of the exercise should not be alarmed if they see smoke, fire and emergency vehicles driving through the area. The public should be advised that the activities are a part of a continuous, co-operative effort to keep passengers, the public and airport staff safe. KCI is required by the Federal Aviation Administration to hold full-scale emergency exercise every three years and tabletop drills during the off years to maintain the skill levels of each agency involved in an aircraft rescue effort.