Hagerstown Airplane Crash? – Behind the Scenes of an Airport Disaster Drill

Cover Photo: File photo of a crashed airplane.

Radio Free Hub City has completed editing of our coverage of the Airport Disaster Drill at Hagerstown Regional Airport on October 7, 2023. The full video is below.

Washington County Office of Emergency Management, Emergency Services and volunteers participate in a disaster drill simulating an aircraft emergency at the airport.

The disaster drill was considered a huge success and serves as a shining example of how to respond to an emergency utilizing multiple emergency services and fire/EMS companies.

Original Press Release by Washington County Government:

Hagerstown Regional Airport, in collaboration with Washington County Government and Washington County Office of Emergency Management, is excited to announce a simulated aircraft emergency disaster exercise Saturday, October 7, 2023, from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

This exercise will provide an invaluable opportunity for participants to asses and enhance emergency response capabilities, plans, policies, and procedures. The focus of the exercise will be on decision-making, coordination, and collaboration among various organizations involved in an Aircraft Incident and Airport Security Situation.

The primary objective of the exercise is to improve interagency coordination, evaluate response plans, and foster unity within our community in managing large-scale disasters effectively.

This drill was not open to the public, but Radio Free Hub City was granted access to film portions of the drill to share with the public.

The American Red Cross assists by providing simulated injuries to volunteer participants, to add an additional level of realism to the drill.