Simulated aviation emergency puts St John WA’s response skills to the test
St John WA took triage to the tarmac at Perth Airport on 17 September, testing its emergency response skills in a large-scale, multi-agency exercise.
More than 50 team members from St John WA’s Emergency Stream, along with 20 operational vehicles, gathered at the busy site to take part in a simulated plane crash landing.
The exercise tested emergency response, command and control, casualty management, operational disruption and family assistance.
A training plane on the runway, moulage actors sporting prosthetic wounds, smoke and flares tested the teams in a hyper-realistic environment.
Meanwhile, the State Control Centre stood up a team to respond to the incident and St John’s Event Health Services were stationed at a nearby park to support a reunification scenario with family and friends of passengers following an emergency.
Simulated exercises allow teams to evaluate procedures, strengthen interagency coordination and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
Months of planning went into the cross-agency training exercise with other key players including Australian Federal Police, Western Australia Police Force, Department of Fire and Emergency Services, Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting Services, Australian Border Force, Department of Communities, Public Transport Authority and Department of Health.
The success of the event demonstrated the strength of the partnerships that underpin aviation safety and emergency response across Western Australia.
“Emergency exercises give us the opportunity to test our plans in a realistic environment, understand how agencies will coordinate, and identify any gaps that need to be addressed,” St John WA General Manager – Operational and Clinical Excellence, Lauren Davids, said.
“That preparation is critical to ensuring we are ready to support the community when it matters most.
“In a major aviation emergency, an effective response depends on every organisation understanding its role and being able to work as one team.
“Preparing for the worst means we can respond more calmly, confidently and effectively when needed.”
Jason Waters, Perth Airport CEO, recognised the coordinated agency effort that made the simulation exercise possible.
“Safety and security are our highest priorities at Perth Airport, and regular emergency exercises are a critical part of ensuring we are prepared to respond effectively to any incident,” Jason said.
“The safety and wellbeing of our passengers, staff and the wider community is at the centre of everything we do, which is why maintaining a high level of emergency preparedness is so important.
“Strong collaboration with emergency services and government agencies is essential to our preparedness.
“I would like to thank all participating agencies, volunteers and aviation partners for their support.
“Their professionalism and commitment help ensure Perth Airport remains prepared to respond safely and effectively in the event of an emergency.”
