Video: GTRA Hosts Triennial Disaster Drill

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LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) — A disaster drill involving some 26 Golden Triangle area emergency responders and other state agencies took place at the Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTRA) early this morning.

The drill is helping area responders to be better prepared in case the unthinkable happens.

In the mock scenario, a commercial plane collided mid-air with Columbus Air Force Base jet, resulting in a mass casualty situation.

The Federal Aviation Administration requires airports to perform these exercises every three years to maintain their commercial service certification

“It’s all about coordination,” GTRA Executive Director Mike Hainsey said. “You know, we have probably 20 to 25 responding units, and to get those units operating together to save lives and protect property is hard to do. And we have a lot of professionals here that do it very well.”

Hainsey said the last full-scale disaster drill was held in 2011.

In the coming weeks, participants will assess both the strengths and weaknesses of today’s drill.