A state of disaster was replicated at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on Wednesday evening, as the Airport’s administration embarked on yet another emergency simulation exercise at Timehri, East Bank Demerara.
This was as the construction works as part of the Airport’s expansion project enters its final phases, prompting the Airport’s administration to assess the facility’s preparedness for cases of emergency.
As such, various stakeholders and agencies operating at the CJIA, joined hands to
Emergency teams practicing first response care during the simulation exercise
test the abilities to respond to special cases and more so increase their capacity to take on cases of emergency.
While speaking to the media moments after the exercise was conducted, Minister within the Public Infrastructure Ministry, Annette Ferguson outlined the significance of the night’s activity.
“The importance of this exercise is basically to let us be in preparedness if something of this nature is to happen in reality,” she explained.
Participating in the simulation exercise were the military, medical institutions, the Guyana Fire Service as well as the various carriers operating through the CJIA.
With that, Minister Ferguson pointed out the importance of having all stakeholders participate in the preparation exercise while underlining that each entity is required to play its part if such a case is to present itself.
On that note, she related, “This particular exercise is beneficial so that at least we can see where our strengths and weaknesses are. So it will enable us now to go back to the drawing board to see exactly, when it comes to the evacuation of the injured how readily are we, when it comes to the injured being attended to, how readily are we.” Continuing on that note, Operations Manager at the CJIA, Manmohan Balram indicated that the emergency simulation exercise is stipulated by the International Civil Aviation Authorities.
This, he pointed out, is to test the competency of the Airport and prepare each agency for the possibility of such a catastrophe.
In doing so, he let on that, “It gives us the opportunity for the agency to understand their role in the event there is an emergency at this point. So we plan the exercise and practice our roles four months in advance.”
Both the Minister and Operations Manager deemed the exercise critical given that an airport disaster can strike at any time.
The emergency simulation exercise is staged at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on a biannual basis, with this year being the first time the operation was conducted at night.
