Operation Surf and Turf

Photo courtesy of YVR

On April 17, the Vancouver International Airport Authority held a huge training exercise, Operation Surf and Turf, involving over 600 participants and 30 agencies. Emergency Exercises are a critical component of the YVR overall Emergency Management Plan, which is focused on three key principles:  Prevent, Prepare and Practice.

Operation Surf and Turf was based on the scenario of a "Crash On" involving an international inbound aircraft.  The complicated emergency response plan  included a 75-man raft, the Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft, 442 squadron Cormorant rescue helicopter from Comox, and of course, a host of volunteers including Airport Operations classes 17 and 18 along with instructors Reana Selody Joubert and Lynne Denison Foster.

Reana's participation reaches back a year as a participant on the YVR Emergency Exercise Planning Committee in addition to playing a key role at the site of the exercise serving as a volunteer coordinator at the scene along with Lynne Denison Foster. .

Marcia Strang, Coordinator Emergency Programs with YVR said, "I want to take this opportunity to thank our emergency planning team who have been working on planning this exercise for over a year. It is a testament to their hard work that this training exercise was able to run smoothly while involving such a diverse group of people – Airport Authority staff, business partners and volunteers."

This exercise is a perfect segue for students who will be taking Airport Emergency Planning very shortly and highlights the importance of the training and experience students obtain in the program.