Risk Management Magazine

Most of us remember hearing a series of bells or some other type of audible device signaling a fire drill while in grade school. I recall hoping the drill would lead to an unplanned recess and enjoyed getting a break from our classwork. At the time, I did not understand the importance of these drills in preparing me and my classmates on how to react to an emergency. Unknowingly, it created an environment that assisted our teachers and emergency responders in ensuring everyone made it out of the building quickly and safely.

As panic set in, the worker ran to the nearby emergency phone to call for help. Their supervisor was the first one on the scene, running up seven flights of stairs, not knowing what he would encounter.

As we proceeded back to the airport, we requested the instrument landing system (ILS) approach, and ATC assigned vectors. This particular airport during this time of day was busy with many types of traffic — commercial, general aviation, helicopters and military aircraft — all trying to make it back in before the weather hit the airfield.