At Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, one of the largest major-accident training exercises ever will be held on Wednesday, with the participation of 15 different organizations and 450 people.
"Normally, such a large exercise is held at the airport once a year. However, due to Covid, it was not possible to practice for a few years," said Jorma AlhoHead of the Central Uusimaa Rescue Department.
He added that this is one of the largest exercises ever held in Finland in terms of number of people.
In the exercise, which starts at nine in the morning and lasts until four in the afternoon, more emergency vehicles move around the airport than usual.
The rescue service also noted that harmless smoke may be seen in the area, but the exercise will not disrupt passenger traffic.
In the event of an accident, cooperation must be smooth
The exercise will ensure that the co-operation of several parties in rescue work goes smoothly in the event of an air traffic accident at the airport.
"We are practicing a situation where a passenger plane is involved in an accident and there are about a hundred people on board. They will be rescued and if the plane catches fire, it will be turned off." Alho said.
In addition to the Central Uusimaa Rescue Department, the exercise includes the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS), the Eastern Uusimaa Police, the Border Guard, the Accident Investigation Board, the Emergency Response Center, the City of Vantaa, Finavia, Finnair and the Uusimaa Rescue Department.
Many organizations are involved in the exercise, and resolving a real accident can take days or even years, as some organizations have to tie loose ends with relatives involved in the accident.
According to Alho, accidents of this scale in aviation are rare.
"Planes have been evacuated in the last few years, but there are very few such large cases. Therefore, such situations need to be practiced," he said.
Source: The Nordic Page