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Wichita Mid-Continent To Test Disaster Response

xlibber/Flickr--Creative Commons

 

The emergency response capabilities of Wichita Mid-Continent Airport will be tested next week as airport authority officials and local emergency responders will participate in a disaster exercise. 

Mid-Continent Airport will simulate the crash of a 737 aircraft on the its runway on Tuesday morning. The airport has performed a large-scale disaster exercise every three years for decades, according to JasonJones,  Deputy Chief of the Airport Authority. 

"This allows us to test our policies and procedures that we have in place at the airport, as well our agreements with all the agencies that are participating," Jones says. "It helps us find out if there's anything that we're doing wrong."

According to Jones, Wichita Mid-Continent Airport has had private jet crash before, but never a commercial aircraft.

Approximately 300 officials from local emergency management agencies will participate. The Airport Authority will also use social media to provide information to the public.