Orick said the airport would likely remain open after such a crash, as long as there was no debris on the runway. After a plane crash, airline and airport personnel would work closely with crash victims and their families, Orick said. Typically, the airline involved will set up a room for families at the airport and airline personnel would be sent to local hospitals. A firefighter from Southwest Florida International Airport checks on injured passengers during a mock disaster-training exercise simulating an airplane crash near Paul J. Doherty Parkway in Fort Myers on Thursday. The airline company would also be responsible for assembling the flight's passenger manifest and determining who was on the flight, Orick said.
Many airlines also have emergency teams in place that can assemble quickly in an emergency.
Dave Wheaton, of Lee County EMS, also observed the drill as his employees practiced their response. Wheaton said his crew has never been dispatched to a jetliner crash, but has been immersed in mass casualty incidents such as bus crashes. His agency also helped out in Dade County in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. As the EMS workers practiced taking care of the physical needs of volunteer victims, the American Red Cross focused on the emotional aspect of an accident. Keith Denning, director of emergency services for the American Red Cross of Lee County, said his organization has been designated by the National Transportation Safety Board to provide support in transportation disasters.