Fire departments conduct mock disaster drill at Chicago Rockford airport

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Over 20 fire departments staged a mock disaster at the Chicago Rockford International Airport on Friday to prepare for the event of an emergency on the runway.

The Federal Aviation Administration requires the drills be run every three years.

In Friday’s scenario, officials responded to a plane that had caught fire after a landing gear failure.

Sixty actors were used to simulate patients in need of help.

Fire officials said even if an aircraft crash is an unlikely scenario, it is important for them to stay prepared.

“It’s definitely a unique scenario. Not every day does it happen that we get an aircraft incident. But in the event of an aircraft incident, we want to be ready. We want to be able to show that we’re able to do our jobs out here and respond accordingly,” said Captain Joe Milan, of the airport’s fire department. “So, it’s not an everyday situation,n but it definitely helps to practice this and get with the partners out here.”

In addition to fire departments, multiple police agencies and medical centers participated in the drill.

“It also builds relationships with our communities and first responders, and other agencies that would participate in a real emergency,” said airport operations manager Isaac Mendoza.