YVR conducts airport-wide emergency training exercise

Approximately 200 personnel from local, provincial, national and federal organizations come together at the airport to test and further strengthen emergency response plans

Musqueam Territory/Richmond, B.C. (September 27, 2024): As part of Vancouver International Airport’s (YVR) commitment to maintaining the highest standards of safety, the Airport Authority conducted its annual airport-wide emergency training exercise earlier this week, simulating a large-scale response to a major aircraft incident.

YVR’s terminal, airfield and facilities around the airport were used to rehearse multi-layered emergency response plans with airlines, multiple aviation and related agencies, health authorities, emergency services and municipalities. Nearly 200 people from local, provincial, national and federal organizations were involved.

“The large-scale exercise taking place at the airport demonstrates our focus and commitment to safety at YVR,” said Andy Margolis, Chief Operations Officers at Vancouver International Airport. “Regular testing of our Emergency Management Plan and training response personnel are a vital part of our emergency preparedness, allowing us to evaluate and refine our emergency protocols. I would like to acknowledge and thank our YVR team and volunteers, as well as hundreds of colleagues from aviation and emergency response agencies across the region for their dedication and support required to conduct an exercise of this scope and scale.”

YVR hosts one large-scale exercise per year, in addition to multiple other safety focused training events. Emergency exercises can include live scenario training, table-top exercises and emergency simulation drills. YVR’s Emergency Management Plan deals with a wide range of emergency situations including aircraft incidents, natural disasters, medical emergencies, security threats and biological hazards. It is refined on a regular basis to incorporate knowledge learned through exercises and the latest developments in airport safety and emergency management.

This year’s airport-wide emergency training exercise at YVR comes during Canadian Airports Safety Week, during which the Airport Authority is holding a series of activities centered around safety.