PAA Conducts Emergency Drill at Multan Airport to Test Response Readiness
— November 7, 2024
MULTAN (AIA) The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) conducted a full-scale emergency exercise on Thursday at Multan International Airport to train staff and test equipment, evaluating preparedness for potential emergency situations. The drill involved coordinated efforts from multiple agencies, including Army Aviation, the Fire Brigade, Rescue 1122, public hospital ambulances, and the Edhi Foundation.
During the exercise, a simulated crash landing was staged, with fire erupting from the aircraft and around 45 “passengers” needing evacuation. To simulate real conditions, 1,000 litres of oil were used to start the fire. Water tankers from PAA and Rescue 1122 responded swiftly, extinguishing the flames within a minute. The entire rescue operation, including the prioritised evacuation of injured passengers and their transport to the hospital, was completed in under 15 minutes. PAA and Nishtar Hospital doctors actively managed the mock injuries and assessed the triage levels.
Crash Fire Rescue Officer (CFRO) Ghulam Fareed led the operation, which was observed by officers from the Armed Forces, Army Aviation, and the PAF Multan Base, along with senior airport and rescue officials. Airport Manager Anwar Zia and other high-ranking officials were also present.
In a pre-exercise briefing, Zia highlighted that these emergency drills, mandated every two years by the International Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), are essential for improving the professional capabilities of involved agencies and for fostering interagency coordination. He stated that such drills are conducted at airports nationwide to assess medical and fire response capabilities, particularly for critical moments during takeoff and landing. He added that state-of-the-art firefighting equipment is used to ensure response effectiveness during emergencies.