130th Mock Disaster 5/10/2008   The blood and injuries were fake, but the mock disaster at Yeager Airport Saturday gave rescue personnel a glimpse into the reality of a full-scale plane crash. Yeager Airport led the drill in conjunction with the Air National Guard, Charleston area fire departments, emergency service crews and area hospitals. The scenario centered on a plane crash and fuel spill on the runway of the Charleston airport. About 50 volunteers, made up of high school students from Capital High School, military personnel and community volunteers, lay bloodied and injured around the crash site. Planners of the scenario left out no detail. Air National Guard fire crews put out a fire surrounding a plane simulator from West Virginia University Fire Academy. Health Net and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the Parkersburg Army National Guard took the injured from the scene. Victims were also taken to emergency rooms at CAMC, Thomas Memorial Hospital and St. Francis for treatment. "This exercise is designed to test the readiness of the airport and its first responders in the event of an actual emergency," said Rick Atkinson, director of Yeager Airport. All personnel from the ground up were involved in the training session to make it as real as possible, he said. Yeager Airport is required by the Federal Aviation Administration to test its emergency plan with a live exercise once every three years. In 2005, the airport simulated a terrorist attack. Administrators are also required to hold once-a-year tabletop drills, in which personnel go over "what-if" scenarios. The Kanawha-Putnam Emergency Planning Commission evaluated rescue personnel response time and performance during the disaster. Representatives from each division meet after the training simulation to discuss the evaluations and how they can better coordinate and communicate during a similar emergency. Of the victims, 27 were students from Capital's drama club. Students and community volunteers met at 6 a.m. to put on their makeup. "It's been a long day," said Sloan Duncan, a junior at the University of Charleston. Duncan, with a bloody gash across her forehead, is one of 14 victims who did not survive the crash. Volunteers went all out to make the scenario as real as possible, Duncan said. "They were screaming and moaning," she said. "It was kind of scary, especially since my little sister was out there too." Airport employees, local police and fire agencies, the Transportation Security Administration, the Red Cross, the FBI, Metro 911 and other emergency responders also participated in the exercise. Mike Plante, who does public relations for the airport, says rescue personnel and the airport's administration take this very seriously. "I'm really impressed with these guys," he said.