First responders carry out airport evacuation drill

An Airport Evacuation Drill was in full operation yesterday morning with Niue High School students invited to participate.  

Led by Niue’s Fire Department, the exercise involved Niue’s Police, National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), Health, Customs and Immigration alongside Niue’s Tourism Office and Peleni’s Travel.

The scenario played out was a plane crashing at takeoff with the students playing the role of the passengers.  

The fake crash site is believed to have had 10 passengers still unaccounted for while remaining passengers were situated at the airport lounges overseen by Health, Police liaising with Customs & Immigration, Tourism and Peleni’s Travel.  

The students were assigned victim roles and were treated by the respective agencies for assessment of injuries with reports of any fatalities at the airport lounges communicated also the Emergency Operations Centre.

 The emergency operations centre took control of the old VIP room at the airport with key heads of staff including Colin Harding, Toni Edwards, Robin Hekau, Sidney Ikiua, Salanoa Mautama and Ovetta Pearson.

The paramedics team provide transportation by those injured to travel to Niue Foou Hospital where staff awaited also to treat their patients as part of the operative drill.  

A senior representative at the airport was approached by BCN to comment on the scenario advising such scenario would draw global media attention in reality.  The comment made was that they wanted to avoid making the situation more overwhelming noting also that some of the staff are new to the exercise.

Niue’s Fire Department normally runs the drill every two  years.