Chaotic scenes unfolded at Griffith Airport last week as a light plane and a small helicopter collided.
However, the incident on Wednesday 25 October 2023, was not a real accident but rather a meticulously planned Aerodrome Emergency Exercise called “Ex. Broken Wing,” carried out by Griffith City Council at Griffith Regional Aerodrome.
The exercise is held bi-annually, as a Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Statutory Safety requirement.
The exercise itself was designed and planned by Airport Coordinator Graham Slingsby and State Emergency Services member Mr Michael Borg. “Exercise Broken Wing” was designed to test the response and coordination of Griffith emergency services personnel, to an incident that involved a hypothetical collision between the two aircraft.
Members from Griffith City Council, Australian Air Force Cadets (AAFC), SES and other volunteers, participated as crash victims. Making the scene believable “victims” wore convincing make-up to replicate various injuries.
Over 100 emergency services personnel; comprising NSW Police, NSW Ambulance, Fire and Rescue NSW, NSW State Emergency Services (SES), NSW Rural Fire Service (NSWRFS) attended the exercise.
These members were tested in the control and coordination aspect of their respective agency responsibilities. Observers and umpires were on-hand to assess the overall performance of emergency services personnel, with a mass debrief held at the conclusion of the exercise.
“Exercise Broken Wing” was hugely successful and received wide accolades from all who participated in the event. Exercises such as this, provide our local emergency services and Council staff with invaluable exposure to inter-operability between all emergency combat agencies, fostering better camaraderie and understanding across these organisations.
