First responders take part in emergency drill at GT Regional Airport

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s a worst-case scenario for area first responders: a mid-air collision of a commercial airliner and a military plane resulting in numerous casualties.

That was the incident that agencies from three counties and the Air Force Base responded to at Golden Triangle Regional Airport.

Fortunately, this time it was only a drill.

Every three years, the airport is required to conduct a full-scale emergency exercise.

The event helps familiarize agencies with the airport, and it gets different agencies comfortable working with each other.

“Communication is a key part of being able to actually respond to an accident or incident efficiently and quickly. And so, being able to practice these, having the opportunity to work together on a scenario allows us to have better preparedness for anything that might come our way,” said Matt Dowell, Executive Director at GTRA.

At least 10 agencies from Lowndes, Clay, and Oktibbeha Counties, along with the Columbus Air Force Base took part in the drill.

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