Board plans tabletop exercises and written emergency plan; mutual-aid training emphasized

Airport staff outlined a multi-step plan to develop a written airport emergency/crisis response plan and to stage tabletop exercises with Logan County Emergency Management and other stakeholders over the next 8–10 months. The goal is to improve coordination in aviation incidents, orient first responders to airfield-specific hazards (fuel systems, ramps, lighting) and identify roles and contacts for the FISDO and NTSB.

Staff said the airport is not a Part 139 certificated commercial service airport and therefore is not required by the FAA to maintain the same exercise cadence as larger airports. Nonetheless, staff recommended tailoring tabletop scenarios to local needs, running workshops to walk stakeholders through likely incidents (for example, a citation-jet landing incident or a hazardous-fuel spill at the fuel farm) and producing standard operating procedures and checklists for staff and responders. Staff noted previous informal orientations with Guthrie fire and Edmond mutual-aid partners and proposed a more formalized approach, including contact lists, assigned responsibilities, and coordination with area hospitals as appropriate.

Board members and attendees stressed the value of joint training and mutual-aid agreements, noting that recent wildfire responses had shown the value of interoperable command, mobile command units and shared resources. Staff said it will develop a written plan and seek to host a tabletop exercise in the coming year, then consider a full-scale exercise if appropriate resources and stakeholder availability align.