Plane down in St Martin’s field – but it was just a test
Thursday 11th June 2009, 2:29PM BST.
Airport firefighters tackle yesterday’s ‘crash’ near the water towers. (Pictures by Steve Sarre, 0787663)
TWO people died and more than 20 people were injured in a plane crash last night less than a mile from the airport.
The aircraft, carrying 24 people, came down in a field west of the Forest Road water tower.
Airport firefighters were the first on the scene and arrived at about 6.40pm to extinguish a blaze that had taken hold.
The Town-based Fire and Rescue Service, the Ambulance and Rescue Service and the police followed shortly afterwards – but it was all part of an exercise to test what they would do had the incident been real.
Passers-by could have easily mistaken the event for the real thing.
Once the initial call was made over the radio, three bright-yellow airport fire engines charged into the field. Firefighters quickly made the fuselage safe before cutting out the passengers.
Ambulance personnel took charge of the injured. Police monitored workers entering and exiting the site and directed traffic.
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I guess they have to make the firefighters look busy after they got their pay-rise!!!
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A good example of both fire services and other emergency services working together.
Perhaps they should all be on the same pay scale and then there will be fairness and equality in pay.
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I hope the airport FF’s got overtime or a shift allowance for doing unsociable hours!
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Oh dear, it really is a bitter pill to swallow but this is just a practice. Do we really want to, or have to have the real thing with real casualties involved due to a catastrophic incident at the airport. I know as well as you we do not want this. Give those guys a break, you might not agree with what has happened but they are proffesionals in aircraft firefighting, and I know planes do not crash at Guernsey airport evryday (thank goodness)but it is pleasing to know that the airport fire service is there should we need them.
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Carts – no doubt everyone involved in the exercise was paid (apart from the volunteers) – why pick on the airport firemen?
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