Emergency Response Exercise at the Kuujjuaq Airport

Kuujjuaq, Québec, November 4, 2015 – Local firefighters, first responders, local and regional healthcare personnel, officers of the Kativik Regional Police Force (KRPF) and management personnel of the Transportation and Public Security departments of the Kativik Regional Government (KRG) conducted a full-scale emergency response exercise at the Kuujjuaq airport yesterday. More than 35 volunteers also took part.

“Overall, the exercise went well and no major issues were encountered,” states Ron Erlandson, Director of the KRG Transportation Department. “Minor adjustments to procedures will be discussed with the participating stakeholders over the next couple of months in order to improve the coordinated response for airport emergencies.” In accordance with the Canadian Aviation Regulations, the KRG is required to conduct full-scale emergency response exercises at all its airports at least once every four years.

“In 2015, the KRG Transportation Department has been focused on the implementation of safety management systems at the airports it operates in every community. Transport Canada made the systems mandatory to provide an extra layer of protection,” explains Isabelle Parizeau, KRG Director General. “The systems help airport staff and users identify safety risks before they become bigger problems.” Safety management systems include daily inspections, incident reporting and stakeholder-based audits.

Michel Martin, Director of the Public Security Department and Chief of the KRPF, emphasizes the importance of regular crisis simulations. “It is essential to be well prepared for all eventualities by systematically testing our emergency plans. It’s truly a team effort and small details can make a big difference in real situations.”

The emergency scenario followed on November 3 at the Kuujjuaq airport involved an aircraft with mid-air difficulties and a crash on landing. Different scenarios are developed by the KRG Transportation Department for each emergency response exercise and are not disclosed in advance to better simulate a real emergency. In the coming months, full-scale emergency response exercises will be conducted at some community airports and table-top exercises at the others.

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Information:

Jean-Philippe Dubois

Communications Officer

Kativik Regional Government

Tel. 819-964-2961, ext. 2219

jpdubois@krg.ca | media@krg.ca

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