First responders hold plane crash drills this week in Marina and Monterey

The Navy is in town and it’s all to help train Central Coast first responders for a major plane crash disaster. NewsChannel 5 was at the Marina Airport as the drill unfolded to show what a search and rescue mission was like.

“The aircraft went down in a field just to the North East here,” a Marina firefighter said.

It was the simulation, shown on a map, that first responders had to focus on. The scenario: Two planes down, and of the four pilots only two survived.

“There is key flight lines going over in this area. So the chances of a mid air collision is higher than other locations throughout the region,” Captain Robert Nowakoski said.

Emergency crews trained in various categories from learning how to set up camp to putting pieces together from the debris site. During the drill pieces of the aircraft were scattered everywhere. But before heading out, crews had to put hazmat suits on. Brad Swartout with Emergency Operations knows all about the importance of safety.

“We need to be able to go at a moments notice and do our job. And so these exercises help bring us, bring us together and train us,” Swartout said.

Once crews are done sweeping the debris field they have to walk through decontamination tents to wash off any carbon fibers or chemicals from the aircraft. Wednesday’s drill included military, and local agencies like Marina and Monterey Fire. It was Commander Bill Fallon’s job to identify why the planes went down.

“We can dig through the evidence, because the answer lies here within the debris field,” Fallon said.

Even though the crews hope they don’t have to respond to an aircraft collision, they know the drills will make their response time that much quicker. The training will continue Thursday with Monterey with a plane crash training scenario on the beach.