Purdue News

October 26, 1999 Purdue plans mock plane crash to test crisis readiness Sources: Mike Koppes, (765) 494-1427; mjkoppes@purdue.edu Tom Cooper, (765) 494-1432; tncooper@purdue.edu WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue Airport will be the site of a mock airplane crash Saturday (10/30) as university and area emergency teams test their crisis response procedures. The drill, required by the Federal Aviation Administration every three years, will simulate a downed airplane. Details of the crash will not be made known until the drill begins at 11 a.m., said Mike Koppes, Purdue fire protection engineer, who is coordinating planning of the crisis with Thomas Cooper, Purdue fire safety specialist. "The crash will be based on an actual incident," Cooper said. "Cosmetic materials will be applied to victims to simulate real injuries. The Department of Aviation Technology will provide students to act out many of the roles." More than 200 people are expected to take part in the drill, representing Purdue fire and police departments; Lafayette, West Lafayette and Wabash Township fire departments; Lafayette and West Lafayette police departments; Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Department; Indiana State Police; the Tippecanoe County Emergency Management Agency; Tippecanoe County Emergency Ambulance Service; Home and St. Elizabeth hospitals; the Tippecanoe County Chapter of the American Red Cross; the county coroner's office; and the Purdue Office of University Relations. The airport portion of the drill should end around 1 p.m. Writer: Jeanne V. Norberg, (765) 494-2084; jnorberg@purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page