Oct. 31, 2001 – If you wondered about all the racket on Veterans Drive Wednesday morning — sirens screaming, fire trucks barreling along — none of it was real, a real disaster, that is. It was the Port Authority's airport mock disaster drill.
A release from the Port Authority Wednesday afternoon called the drill, an exercise required periodically by the Federal Aviation Administration, a success. Barbara Ricketts, Cyril E. King Airport manager, said, "There were a few areas that needed improvements, but in general things went smoothly. Any concerns I had with our primary response agencies were squashed today."
The exercise began around 9:30 a.m. with two simulated plane crashes — one on land, the other 15 minutes later on the water, both with injured and dead passengers.
Agencies participating in the drill included V.I. Fire Services, the V. I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Medical Technicians, the local chapter of the American Red Cross and the Planning and Natural Resources Department — along with VICAR, a voluntary water rescue team from Tortola.
