News & Facts

Santa Ana, CA – On March 2, 2005 John Wayne Airport (JWA) conducted its triennial emergency preparedness disaster drill as required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Widely considered a success, Airport officials would like to acknowledge the involvement of approximately 50 agencies (view list), both public and private, that took the time to assist Airport staff and ensure that JWA is ready to respond to in the event of an aircraft disaster.

The drill tested Airport and emergency service agencies responsible for providing fire, rescue, emergency medical and related services to victims of a major aircraft disaster. The drill included initial response to the site, triage, counseling and transportation of victims to nearly twenty area hospitals. The FAA requires that a full-scale exercise be conducted every three years to evaluate the operational capability of the airport’s emergency management system in a real-time, stress environment, in which personnel, equipment and material are mobilized and deployed.

John Wayne Airport is a self supporting enterprise, owned and operated by the County of Orange. The Airport served over 9.2 million passengers in the last calendar year.

Emergency Preparedness Drill - Participating Agencies