Federal, state, and local authorities donned HAZMAT suits and took part in a terror response drill at JFK airport last night.
Emergency responders trained through a scenario that included 350 actors portraying injured passengers.
One actor told CBS 2′s Rachel Stockman that simulated training has a very real purpose.
“It was an interesting learning experience, as a student of emergency management. Going into a situation like this and how hard it is to get the time right,” he said.
The drill was part of a government mandated requirement, led by the Port Authority Office of Emergency Management, it included several agencies from the tri-state area.
“This is about readiness, preparation, and teamwork, and collaboration,” explained Pat Foye, the Executive Director of the Port Authority.
In Saturday night’s scenario, a truck bomb crashed into a passenger terminal. Responders were tasked with rescuing a man from an overturned car in the midst of billowing smoke.
The Port Authority conducts similar exercises at all of its airports.
{CBS 2/Matzav.com Newscenter}
