A multi-agency emergency exercise is taking place at Shannon Airport this afternoon involving up 150 personnel.
‘Exercise Shamrock’ aims to validate the combined response of the airport together with the primary emergency agencies and other key stakeholders that would react to any aviation incident at the airport.
Today’s scenario is based on a simulated incident involving an aircraft fire adjacent to the terminal building.
The agencies taking part include Shannon’s Fire and Rescue Service, Clare County Fire and Rescue Service (Ennis and Shannon), the HSE’s National Ambulance Service and the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA)
Students from NUIG’s College of Hotel Management at Shannon Airport are playing varied roles of passengers, relatives and press.
Airport Operations Director Niall Maloney said: “Crash-exercises are conducted every two years at Shannon Airport as a condition of its aerodrome licence and we use the opportunity then in conjunction with the other emergency services to test the regional major emergency plan and site specific arrangements for the airport.”
“The safety of our customer airlines, passengers and staff is paramount to us and today’s exercise allows us to test our readiness for a real life situation should it ever occur.
It is about ensuring that, if the worst case scenario happens, we and our colleagues in the other attending emergency services are adequately prepared to respond,” Mr Maloney added.
The exercise got underway at 2.30pm and will continue for three hours.