Flames rise at Des Moines airport as safety crew conducts once-every-3-years drill

Des Moines International Airport prepared for the worst Thursday as its rescue and firefighting team completed a series of safety drills simulating an aircraft accident.

The Federal Aviation Administration requires the airport to conduct the exercise every three years, coordinating emergency services and putting out controlled fires.

It began at the airport at 9 a.m. and lasted about four hours, with announcements in the terminal alerting passengers.

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“This exercise is designed to assess the emergency preparedness of the airport, our staff and our mutual emergency response partners,” Tanya Peacock, airport emergency preparedness specialist, said in a news release. “It provides an opportunity to test, evaluate and refine our response protocols and incident command functions.”

The drill was completed with help from the Des Moines and Norwalk fire departments.

Addison Lathers covers growth and development for the Des Moines metro. Reach her at 608-931-1761 or alathers@registermedia.com, and follow her on X at @addisonlathers.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Flames rise at Des Moines airport as safety crew conducts once-every-3-years drill