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N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Several volunteers from local agencies were involved in a full scale emergency exercise on Monday at the Jamestown Regional Airport.

The exercise was designed to test the airport’s emergency plan as well as response capabilities of local agencies in the event of an aviation-related accident. Beth Dewald, Independent Living Advocate for Freedom Resource Center, was a volunteer for the scenario.

“We had about 18 volunteers with varying injuries involved in a simulated airplane crash,” Dewald pointed out. “The simulation had about 30 fatalities as well.”

Dewald stated that they added a few twists in the scenario as well with a disabled man and a simulated death on the field. EMS crews would mark the “victims” with different ribbons of color to identify who would need help first and who could wait to be helped later.

Nancy Miller with Ringdahl Ambulance Service stated that after the exercise was complete, all emergency crews would gather for a “hot wash”, which would allow the volunteers, emergency officials and others to discuss how the situation was handled, what was done well and what could be done differently.

Dewald mentioned that training like this takes place roughly every three years and it was good practice for emergency groups.

“It’s good to see the City Fire Department, Jamestown Rural Fire Department, Jamestown Ambulance, Airport crews, and others working together,” Dewald stated.

Organizations that participated in the exercise included: Jamestown Regional Airport, Sky West Airlines, Jamestown Police Department, Stutsman County Sheriff’s Office, ND Highway Patrol, Jamestown Fire Department, Jamestown Rural Fire Department, Jamestown Area Ambulance, Jamestown Regional Medical Center, Central Valley Health District, American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, Freedom Resource Center, Stutsman County Communications, and Stutsman County Emergency Management.

Below are some pictures from the simulation.