20-05-2025
Savoy mock plane crash prepares first responders
SAVOY, Ill. (WCIA) — Willard Airport is preparing for the worst case scenario: a plane crash. Their emergency preparedness exercise isn't a new event, but it keeps response tactics fresh for the first responders who would be on the scene if a plane crashed.
The FAA requires Willard Airport to carry out this exercise every three years.
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'It's important for us so we can see if they're any weak spots in our system,' Airport Fire Marshal John Cumbee said.
Plane crashes seem to be a hot topic as places like Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and spots closer to home like Trilla, Ill. grapple with the aftermath. Willard officials said they don't believe plane crashes are any more common than they used to be, only more prevalent in the media.
Around 50 volunteers played the victims in Willard's exercise, acting as if they were part of the next accident in the headlines.
'I think the biggest thing we can give people is safety and peace of mind,' Cumbee said. 'They want to know [that] if they're flying they're going to be taken care of.'
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The volunteers laid alongside weighted dummies waiting for help. Some were even taken to the hospital to help staff hone in on their emergency response skills.
'Any incident this large is going to take a lot of resources,' Cumbee said.
The end result is county-wide preparedness for the unthinkable, and to be best equipped if that day comes.
Every department of first responders will be analyzed on how their performance is to better inform how they do things going forward. Willard officials said, while they do the full-scale exercise every three years, they still hold smaller-scale practices every year.
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