Air emergency exercise set for Monday evening

A multi-agency live exercise will take place on Monday evening on the runway, as Gibraltar’s emergency services test their response to an airfield emergency.

The runway will initially be closed for approximately 20 to 30 minutes to allow safe access to the airfield for emergency crews. Those who usually cross the runway after 6:30pm should allow extra time for their journey.

The public can also expect the presence of emergency services on the runway, as well as increased blue light activity between the hours of 6pm and 9pm. Smoke will also be visible throughout the exercise.

Jointly organised by the Office of Civil Contingencies, Airport Fire and Rescue Service (AFRS) and RAF Gibraltar, the exercise will test existing multi-agency plans in the dark. The exercise will also test all command levels (Strategic, Tactical and Operational).

“Exercises are an essential element of the emergency planning and preparedness process. This multi-agency live exercise allows emergency services to put their plans to the test in a safe and controlled environment,” said the Civil Contingencies Coordinator, Ivor Lopez.

“While most exercises are held during the daytime, accidents can happen at any time and it is for this reason that the Emergency Services and other first responders are tested in every possible environment.”

“Monday evening’s exercise will allow responding organisations to examine how well the existing plans perform outside normal working hours and in night-time conditions as it will introduce additional complexities.”

“The exercise will therefore allow us to test the response under increasingly challenging conditions and identify any gaps and / or any potential areas for improvement.”