Photo By Senior Airman Morgan St Marks | Airmen assigned to the 92nd Medical Group triage a simulated patient during a major...... read more read more
Subscribe
Fairchild Air Force Base conducted a major accident response exercise May 19 and 20 to test emergency readiness ahead of the upcoming SkyFest 2026 air show.
During the two-day training event, first responders from the installation and surrounding communities reacted to simulated crashes involving two military aircraft, one on base and one off base. The complex scenarios required military and civilian agencies to work together against the clock to control the scenes, treat the injured, and execute a flawless joint response.
The goal of a major accident response exercise is to give Airmen a chance to practice their emergency response skills alongside their civilian counterparts, ensuring they remain mission ready for any contingency. For Fairchild AFB, the event allowed military personnel and local first responders to refine their joint procedures and increase interoperability.
“My job, and the job of the Inspector General and Wing Inspection team, is to create realistic, challenging scenarios that tests our emergency management mishap response plans, Emergency Operations Center, Fire and Emergency services and law enforcement agencies on and off base during a mass casualty event from top to bottom,” said Brian Baldwin, 92nd Air Refueling Wing exercise planning program manager.
The 48-hour exercise required participation from nearly all installation units. Personnel executed joint response operations alongside local civil authorities, including fire and hospital medical teams, to stabilize the incident sites and process casualties.
“Team Fairchild to include tenant units, in cooperation with Fire District 10, Spokane Fire Department, Washington State Patrol, Spokane Emergency Management and Deaconess Hospital are a vital part of this exercise,” Baldwin said. “Through strong community support and mutual agreements, the lessons we learn together are instrumental in ensuring the safety of everyone attending the air show.”
By responding to two concurrent aircraft crash simulations, these agencies refined key communication skills and joint actions necessary to respond to a mass casualty event.
“Our fire and emergency service members train for emergencies daily but integrating with our mutual aid partners off base ensures we maintain a ready state,” said Tech. Sgt. Paul Floyd, 92nd Civil Engineer Squadron fire and emergency services assistant chief of training. “We rely heavily on our mutual aid agreements with District 10 and Airway Heights, frequently responding to emergencies together both on and off base.”
All Air Force bases are required to conduct a major accident response exercise prior to hosting an air show to prepare for a worst-case scenario. This training ensures that in the unlikely event of an incident, Fairchild AFB and its community partners are ready to respond swiftly and effectively, safeguarding the community and ensuring mission continuity.
“Practicing these joint efforts ahead of the airshow provides another opportunity to ensure we can efficiently mitigate any crisis as a unified team,” said Floyd.
| Date Taken: | 05.20.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.20.2026 16:59 |
| Story ID: | 565819 |
| Location: | FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fairchild AFB conducts major accident response exercise ahead of SkyFest 2026, by TSgt Heather Ley, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
