This past Thursday morning was no ordinary day at the Huntsville International Airport. Hordes of rescue vehicles including specialized fire trucks, HEMSI vehicles, and numerous other emergency response units converged in response to a disaster scene after a Boeing 737 lost control, skidded off the runway, and broke apart on Runway 18L with part of it catching fire, leaving scores of injured and deceased casualties in its wake.

While this didn’t happen in reality, it looked and felt real in many ways.

Every three years, the FAA requires that the Huntsville International Airport hold a Live Disaster Drill to test emergency responses for communication, fire and police, emergency medical, mutual aid, and the incident command system.

Thanks to the talented James Clemens High School theater student team who provided their theatrical makeup skills for the event, the bloodied “patients” had a realistic assortment of injuries including gory head wounds, compound fractures, crush injuries, and other horrifying wounds that, thankfully, didn’t feel anywhere near as painful as they appeared.

Not long after the exercise began, the front part of the “airplane,” a flammable structure with windows, caught fire, after which massive Port of Huntsville fire trucks rushed in to extinguish the flames. These specially equipped trucks feature harpoons in the front, designed to puncture an aircraft’s fuselage to pump in flame retardant foam in the event of an emergency.

Many of the crash “victims” sat or lay in the grass, with some screaming for help or acting disoriented, as more first responders came in waves following the call for assistance. The main fuselage, played by a school bus, held more trapped passengers.

With the “victims” successfully triaged, tagged, and treated and the scene rapidly brought under control in less than the allotted time, the mission was over and the “victims,” first responders, and observers all returned to the homebase in the Tyonek Services Corporation hangar at 2844 Wall Triana Hwy SW to clean up and enjoy boxed lunches catered by Honey Baked Ham.

Participants also received free t-shirts to commemorate their experience and a chance to win a flight to Las Vegas on Breeze Airways, which will celebrate the inauguration of its new direct flight at a public event at The Shed at Stovehouse Thursday evening from 6-8PM.