Toronto Pearson Airport is holding a large-scale explosion drill tonight. Here's what to expect
CTV
More than a hundred volunteers will join emergency officials at Toronto Pearson Airport on Saturday night to act out a large-scale explosion drill meant to put the airport's emergency responses to the test.
More than a hundred volunteers will join emergency officials at Toronto Pearson Airport on Saturday night to act out a large-scale explosion drill meant to put the airport's emergency responses to the test.
The exercise will begin at 11:30 p.m. on Saturday in Terminal 1 and end at 3 a.m. Sunday morning – a time slot chosen to disrupt the least number of passengers possible, said Sean Davidson, a spokesperson for the airport.
“Again, this will be a mock exercise,” Davidson told CTV News Toronto. “About 100 volunteers and emergency services from across the region will test our response to an explosion. Each year we take valuable lessons away from this exercise to refine our protocols and procedures.”
While Saturday’s drill poses no threat to passengers in the airport, it will be taken very seriously, he said, and the response could appear quite realistic
“It will be acted out as if it was a real-time response, so along with airport officials, we'll have a number of first responders participating in the exercise. These agencies come together and act out their minute-by-minute response," Davidson said. For the exercise to feel as real as possible, some volunteers will have moulage or mock injury make-up applied.
Passengers don't need to worry about the exercise impacting their flights, as the airport does not anticipate any delays or cancellations.
