VERO BEACH — First responders, along with aviation officials, will participate in a full-scale emergency training exercise Friday morning at the city airport in efforts to sharpen response skills in realistic scenarios. The scenario will involve a large aircraft carrier, along with a number of simulated casualties, according to Vero Beach police.
“(The training) fosters collaboration and coordination among different agencies involved in emergency response, ensuring efficient communication and effective teamwork during crises,” said Officer Kelsea Callahan, a spokesperson with the Vero Beach Police Department. “This exercise helps identify any weaknesses or gaps in the current emergency response plan, allowing for necessary adjustments and improvements to better protect the community.”
No major roadways will be closed from the training, Callahan said. The exercise will not interrupt normal airport operations.
The full-scale training, dubbed the Triennial Exercise, will be held from 10 a.m. to about noon at the Corporate Air Taxiway on the northeast side of the Vero Beach Regional Airport. The airport is located at 3400 Cherokee Drive, north of Aviation Boulevard and west of U.S. 1.
The joint training will include the Vero Beach Police Department, Indian River County Emergency Services Department, the Vero Beach FAA Air Traffic Control Tower, along with support from airport business Corporate Air.
The Vero Beach Regional Airport is required to conduct the Airport Emergency Plan each year under federal aviation regulations. Every third year, the plan must be held as a simulated full-scale mass casualty event.
“This exercise has been carefully planned to be an accurate test of the plan given current airport operations, while having minimal impact on normal airport operations,” Vero Beach police officials said.
