The full-scale exercise planned to test the effectiveness and response capacity of the Emergency Plan in the event of an air accident at the airport took place during the night between Friday 22 and Saturday 23 November at Cagliari-Elmas Airport. The simulation began with the intervention of rescuers on a Boeing 737 Aeroitalia with 80 people on board, which, for unknown reasons, had left the runway during landing .
For 4 hours, over 150 units were involved , including extras and operators from the bodies responsible for managing the rescue, who simulated the immediate intervention on the plane involved, the assistance to the passengers of the aircraft and that to their families who rushed to the airport.
During the exercise, Sogaer's new technological implementations in the field of major emergency management were tested , such as:
- adoption of a latest-generation tele-alert system connected to the crisis rooms of 118, the Fire Brigade and the Coast Guard;
- use of drones which, taking off during rescue operations, allow the detection of missing persons also through the use of thermal cameras;
- ground radar control of the movement of all rescue vehicles;
- activation of an entirely virtual emergency operations center to ensure the coordination of relief efforts even remotely.
The rescue machine, coordinated by the management company, reacted quickly and efficiently by effectively implementing the procedures of the Airport Emergency Plan. This and other exercises planned according to a precise timetable, increase the familiarity of airport operators with emergency procedures and allow them to verify whether what has been prepared is feasible and effective in critical situations.
(Online Union)
