Tri-Cities airport simulated an event today that everyone hopes will never actually happen.
More than 25 jurisdictions, departments, and companies participated in the emergency airfield exercise, which simulated a large commercial airplane crash.
In the simulation, a commercial airline crashes upon landing, whereupon 30 of the 50 passengers are taken to area hospitals and 5 are deceased.
This is the simulation law enforcement and firefighters faced today.
The drill started at 8:00 a.m. just north of the airport, with students from Tri-Tech Skills Center acting as the crash victims.
More than 25 agencies participated, which makes drills like today's even more valuable for people who might not work with each other on a daily basis.
"It's hard to understand what we're really going to go through in a real accident, but having the pieces in place and building the relationships to know each other for an accident, if it happens," said Buck Taft, Port of Pasco Deputy Director of Airports.