Lexington airport emphasizes safety training after UPS plane crash

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Following the UPS plane crash at Louisville’s airport, officials at Blue Grass Airport said emergency crews run through drills every year to ensure preparedness if a disaster occurs.

The airport operates an aircraft rescue and firefighting training center, one of only a handful throughout the country that serves to train firefighters from different entities.

“Kind of what something in the community that folks don’t realize is that we have an ARFF training center located here at the Blue Grass Airport. ARFF stands for aircraft rescue and firefighting so we are really just only a handful of those throughout the country that serve to train firefighters throughout the country from different entities,” said Lauren Simmerman, community and relations manager at Blue Grass Airport.

Training facilities and procedures

The facility includes a full-size simulator for training. The airport also has its own police and fire department.

Every year the airport runs tabletop emergency exercises and every three years members of the community come out to the airfield to re-enact injured passengers.

“I mean I definitely think each time it’s a good learning experience. The scenarios are always different and it’s obviously helpful to keep things top of mind and fresh,” Simmerman said.

Passenger concerns

Ladonna New wasn’t aware of these safety procedures as she waited for her husband’s flight to take off. He was headed on a 13-hour plane ride to Iraq for business.

“That’s good to know. I actually didn’t even think about that, but that’s good to know,” New said.

New said her husband, who flies frequently, heard the news in Louisville and was nervous about flying Wednesday.

“He hates flying anyway and then when he watched that last night, this morning he was a nervous wreck and he’s usually a calm man,” New said.

The airplane crash in Louisville hits close to home for New. She knew three people who died on Flight 5191 that crashed in Lexington almost 20 years ago.

Watching from the cellphone parking lot, she doesn’t take the safety of her husband’s flight for granted.

“Like I said sitting here watching these planes take off right here I’m thinking you know, that could happen to him just as easy as it happened yesterday,” New said.

The FAA regulates that firefighters be on staff 24/7 to respond to an emergency.