Simulated aircraft accident at Agno Airport (cross-border guide)

Context

In brief

• SIMEX 26 took place on Thursday evening in Agno
• An aircraft accident in the airport area was simulated
• Alarms, emergency services and coordination were tested
• The airport’s Crisis Committee was reviewed

Key facts

• What → large-scale SIMEX 26 emergency exercise
• When → Thursday evening
• Where → Agno airport
• Scenario → aircraft accident in the airport area
• Supervision → Federal Office of Civil Aviation (UFAC)
• Follow-up → analysis and evaluation of the results in the coming weeks

The exercise scenario

On Thursday evening, Agno airport hosted SIMEX 26, a large-scale emergency exercise. The test had a precise objective: to test safety procedures and coordination among the various agencies in the event of an emergency at the airport.

The scenario prepared for the exercise simulated an aircraft accident in the airport area. Multiple people were involved in the simulation, and one of the access points normally used by emergency vehicles was temporarily unavailable. The exercise scenario therefore included the simulated aircraft event, the involvement of multiple people and the temporary unavailability of an access point.

The exercise covered the alarm chain, the intervention of emergency services and coordination between the airport and first-response organizations. SIMEX 26 linked these three elements within the scenario defined for Agno, verifying how the planned response was coordinated between the airport and the agencies involved.

The description is contained in a statement published on Friday by the City of Lugano. The text links the exercise to the verification of safety procedures and coordination in the event of an emergency. The temporary unavailability of an access point normally used by emergency vehicles was part of the simulated situation, as was the involvement of multiple people.

The objective was not to report an accident that had actually occurred, but to test the organized response to an airport emergency scenario. For this reason, the exercise brought together alarms, emergency services and coordination between the airport and first-response organizations, with the Crisis Committee and communications listed among the additional checks.

Operational details

Operational checks

Alarm, emergency response and coordination

The exercise examined several functions within the same scenario. The note first indicates the alarm chain, which was tested together with the response of the emergency services. These two steps were joined by coordination between the airport and first-response organizations, one of the stated objectives for SIMEX 26.

The City of Lugano also reports on the functioning of the airport's Crisis Committee. This element too was verified during the exercise. The Crisis Committee therefore appears alongside the alarm chain, emergency services and coordination as part of the activities tested at Agno.

A separate section concerns information management. The objectives included verifying the circulation of information and communication management in an emergency situation. The exercise therefore considered both matters concerning the response and the way in which information is circulated and communication is managed while the scenario is underway.

| Area verified | Element indicated in the note | | Alarm chain | Test of the alarm chain | | Emergency services | Response of the emergency services | | Coordination | Airport and first-response organizations | | Management | Functioning of the airport's Crisis Committee | | Communication | Circulation of information and communication management |

The sequence provides a multifaceted picture of the exercise. SIMEX 26 concerned not only the presence of a simulated aircraft accident, but also the links between alarm, response, coordination, crisis management and communication. These are the areas listed in the source to describe what was tested during the evening at Agno Airport.

Key points

The follow-up to the exercise

From simulation to evaluation

For SIMEX 26, the follow-up indicated by the source concerns the analysis of the results. The exercise took place under the supervision of the Federal Office of Civil Aviation, referred to by the acronym UFAC, and the results will be analyzed and evaluated in the coming weeks.

UFAC supervision accompanied the simulation at Agno Airport. The next phase, however, is devoted to reviewing the results of the exercise. The test put security procedures, the alarm chain, the intervention of emergency services, and coordination between the airport and first-response organizations to the test. The operation of the airport’s Crisis Committee was also verified, along with the circulation of information and communication management in an emergency situation.

The analysis planned for the coming weeks follows an exercise built around a precise scenario: an aircraft accident in the airport area, several people involved, and the temporary unavailability of one of the usual access routes used by emergency vehicles. These are the elements described in the note from the City of Lugano and constitute the scope of the exercise whose results will be analyzed and evaluated.

The source therefore indicates a clear sequence: first SIMEX 26 took place under the supervision of UFAC, then the analysis and evaluation of the results. The next announced step concerns verifying what emerged from the exercise, with a review that will be conducted in the coming weeks.

Source: rsi.ch