Emergency Response Planning for Airports - Essay Example

Emergency Response Planning For Airports Introduction Stambaugh et al. (2009) s that airports are crucial facilities that should be handled with extreme care. The security for both workers and air travelers should always be guaranteed to ensure smooth operations at various airports. Many airports across the world have experienced at least one issue that required rapid response. Some emergency issues are technical to control especially where effective strategies are not put in place. Some of the most common emergency cases in the airports include fire and aircrafts engine complications. Whenever a disaster occurs at the airport, valuable items and properties are destroyed which result in huge financial loss. In this regard, responsibilities for workers in an airport and within its vicinity should be clearly defined to avoid confusion during operations. Apparently, the rapid response department in an airport must ensure that all the necessary equipment and the personnel required are present when the need arises. Different airports have varied emergency response techniques subject to the nature and scale of the disaster. Emergency response planning involves structuring the airport in such a way that the impact of an emergency is minimized. It includes establishing procedures to be followed when attending to an emergency. This essay is meant to critically analyze the equipment used, and Procedures followed when attending to emergencies, training and Practices of the emergency response department and policies adopted for effective response to emergencies. Equipment and procedures We focus on Dubai International Airport to learn more about emergency response including the procedures and equipment employed when handling emergency cases. The airport is administered in accordance with the United Arabs Emirates legal requirements for airports operations. The emergency response docket is headed by the chief emergency coordinator. The chief emergency coordinator is entitled with the responsibility of overseeing the reaction to emergency cases. The airport has a well-structured system of command which outlines who reports to who during an emergency. The rapid response department is stratified into several subunits to facilitate effective management and division of labor. Each subunit is given a certain responsibility and head by a commander, who reports to the chief emergency coordinator. The emergency department handles several cases such as health, fire, and security threats among others. The department has a well-trained team of security staff that handles emergency incidences on a 24-hour basis. The emergency response department has a team of skilled and experienced medical personnel who are responsible for emergency health issues. In addition, the department has a group of professional engineers and fire brigades which take care of emergency engine failures and fire cases respectively. There are numerous equipment’s present at Dubai International Airport to facilitate rapid response to emergency cases. The equipment include a fully equipped clinic, fully equipped ambulances to ferry people requiring urgent medical attention, firefighting tracks, communication facilitates, a comprehensive security surveillance system and many others. The equipment are controlled by competent and experienced specialists. Regular upgrading of the equipment is done to enhance compatibility with emerging issues. The equipment are maintained at good condition and records regarding each equipment is kept. The general manager of the airport is responsible for maintaining the equipment records and taking physical count to ensure that the recorded information is concurrent with the facilities available on the ground. The emergency response department at Dubai International Airport has a team of specialized researchers whose main task is to provide important information regarding emerging trends in the air travel and airport operations. Training and practices of the emergency response department Danta Airport Operations is the agency charged with the responsibility of ensuring effective training for staff members at Dubai International Airport. The emergency response department team members undergo regular training to perfect skills and keep current on emerging trends. The training is conducted based on the area of specialization of an individual. For instance, fire brigades are trained on various firefighting techniques and how to use modern firefighting tools (Rausch & Carter, 2007). In addition, the firefighting team is trained on how to respond appropriately to a fire incident in order to reduce delays and confusion. In most cases, fire at the airports is caused by explosive aircraft fuel and therefore training is required on how to handle it. The emergency response medical team is regularly trained on how to handle patients of different kinds. Patients suffer from varied ailments and therefore it is necessary for medical professionals handling emergency cases to have a rich knowledge on how to handle casualties. Apparently, Aircrafts engineers at the airport participate in regular practical sessions to ensure that they remain competent throughout and that they can handle all emergency cases concerning aircraft engines and runways. The airport has liaised with institutions offering aviation technology education to train its aircraft operators. The modern technology and mode of operations in different airports keeps on changing. In this regard, regular training on aviation technology is necessary to avoid the repercussions of unexpected changes (Smith et al., 2013). The training of both the junior and senior employees is conducted in a conducive environment, free from any external disturbance. The Danata Airports Operations Agencies ensures that the training offered is in compliance with IATA and the legal provisions in laws of the UAE. All the courses offered and training facilities present must be approved by IATA before use. The airport’s management has opened online training facilitates to promote convenience of study and to offer a variety of sources of aviation technology information. In this regard, it is not a must for trainees to attend classes since the materials required for training and tutorial services are available online. Actually, the airport’s management has fully embraced the new technology in improving the skills of the available workforce and upgrading the quality of services provided (Vincent, 2010). The employees of the airport attend regular seminars organized by the management. The seminars are meant to give employees an exposure to the outer world. In addition, the seminars facilitate interaction of Dubai International Airport employees with employees from other airports across and outside the country. Through this, national, regional and international cooperation is enhanced thereby improving the quality of operations within and outside the UAE. In addition, the workers experience is diversified by sharing thoughts regarding the different work environments. Moreover, seminars provide an opportunity for workers to learn from each other’s experience. Actually, the basic objective of holding seminars is to challenge the employees so that they can open up their minds and become more innovative. The airport authority is liable for certifying that all the participating parties are conversant with the assigned task. All the parties must work in unison to ensure that responsibilities are shared effectively and that there is no conflict of interest. Each party is expected to concentrate on the assigned duties to promote efficiency. The managing body of the airport is committed to ensuring smooth airport operations and outstanding response to emergency cases. The airport authority ensures that the emergency response team works closely with other emergency response agencies within the country and abroad. It is imperative to associate with various agencies within and outside the country since it facilitates expatriate exchange programs and sharing of equipment. ` The emergency response department is responsible for ensuring that signals cautioning about an emergency incident are interpreted properly. Interpretation of signals is very important in ensuring that immediate action is taken. When a signal is misinterpreted, the response strategy applied may be defective and therefore fail to serve the intended purpose. It is necessary to upgrade the signaling system from time to time to ensure possible errors are eliminated. The emergency response department has established an effective customer care services program. The customer care members of staff are charged with the responsibility of ensuring that customers are attended to appropriately and that any case requiring emergency attention is addressed in good time. The customer care members of staff advise travelers on the best route to take in case of an emergency. In addition, the staff coordinates operations of emergency response team by giving information about travelers at different location. The customer care services staff members ensure that the properties belonging to travelers are safe and in good condition in case of an emergency. The airport is served by a smooth road network system. The Dubai Airport Authority has established clear roads within the vicinity of the airport to facilitate smooth movement of emergency response teams. The emergence response team can either react from the outside or inside the airport depending on the spot where emergency services are required. The roads are well tarmacked and can accommodate both light and heavy vehicles. In this regard, firefighting tracks and ambulances can move comfortably to quell emergency cases at any point. Apparently, the runways are regularly upgraded to ensure safe landing and taking off of aircrafts. Policies and protocol of operations at the airport. The airport authority has set some procedures and policies to be followed when attending to an emergency. Passengers must have all the legal documents before boarding a plane. Passengers’ Luggage must be subjected to thorough scanning to ensure that illegal goods or document are not transported via the airport. The airport operates under various policies that are meant to minimize and control emergency cases. Some of the policies include: Flights within the airport should always be controlled by security guards to minimize congestion on the runaways and avoid confusion during takeoff. All points prone to fire and explosions should only be accessible by identified staff members. In addition, such points should be out of bounce for travelers and other workers. The taxis operating within the airport should have varied licensees, which should regularly reviewed for security and safety reasons. All buildings within the airport must have enough firefighting facilitates to minimize the damage caused by fire in case it erupts. In this regard, everyone working in the airport must be taught how to use various firefighting kits. Every worker must be committed to ensure client satisfaction and safety within the airport and its environs. Any security staff operating the x-ray security kit must be a holder of a valid screener’s license and fully certified by the relevant authorities. All entities within the airport must ensure that environmental pollution control measures are fully implemented. Environmental pollutants such as noise, human waste, oil spillage and emission of harmful gases should be controlled and maintained at the lowest level possible. Pros of the policies The emergency response policies at the airport are generally good. They aid in mitigating dangers such as terrorist attacks, fire damages, travelers deaths resulting from accidents with the airport and many others. In addition, the policies help in maintaining the operation of the airport at the international standards requirement (Ashford, Mumayiz & Wright, 2011). Actually, the policies facilitate top quality delivery of services with the airport and its vicinity. Cons of the policies Despite the many benefits of the policies concerning emergency response at the airport, there are several gaps left that must be closed to enhance efficiency of operations at the airport. For instance, the policies do not give a clear procedure to be followed when investigating criminals or criminal activities. The existing policies do not effectively cover the relation between travelers and the airport’s facilities. Recommendations The infrastructure within the airport such as the runways and the pavements should be redesigned or improved to accommodate the needs for all users of the airport. For instance, more pavements for people with special needs such as the disabled should be constructed and made more user friendly to eliminate the challenges experienced by physically challenged persons. Actually, the disabled should be handled with extreme care to since they are less considered in the community. The Dubai International Airport management should liaise with different stakeholders to promote efficient service delivery to the people with special needs. The security system should be developed further to accommodate future trends in security. The terrorist and other people of bad-will continually develop new methodologies to accomplish their missions. In response to this, the airport management should embrace the modern technology in developing rigid security structures that can confront the strategies employed by terrorists and other criminals in executing their inhuman activities. For instance, the security surveillance system should be constantly improved to match the changing security environment. Consequently, more research should be done on the best security measures to improve the safety of both the passengers and workers at the airport. The management should consider investing more on employee exchange programs with other international airports. Exchange programs are resourceful in developing employees’ job profiles and experiences in different situations. Actually, exchange programs offer employees an opportunity to prove their level of competency. In this regard, the employees improve the quality of their skills and thereby improving the quality of output. It is necessary to give the emergency response team a wide exposure to operations so that they can handle various emergency cases with confidence. The airport management should develop the existing buildings to avoid destruction by natural calamities such as floods and earthquakes. Regular occurrence of earthquakes weaken buildings and therefore it is necessary to carry out renovation from time to time. Moreover, service bays and staircases require regular renovation to avoid huge cost of constructing new ones. Staircases and pavements are crucial components for emergence response since emergence response teams use them when carrying out their activities. Conclusion Emergence response planning creates order when responding to urgent cases such as illnesses, security threats, aircraft complications among others in an airport. For any activity or project to be effective, there must plans on how the daily activities should be conducted. Major airports handle millions of passengers every day and, therefore emergency cases are very common. In this regard, such airports must be equipped with the necessary equipment and resources required for rapid response to emergency. The emergency response department must have a competent team of workers who are conversant with the tasks assigned to them. The policies and procedures guiding operations during an emergency in an airport should be clear and simple to understand in order to avoid delays. The management board of Dubai International Airport has established various strategies to facilitate rapid response to emergency cases within the airport and its vicinity. The emergency response team at any airport should comprise of competent staff and it should be fully equipped to handle emergency cases. Consequently, the airport authorities should invest more on training to ensure that the emergency response teams have efficient and diversified skills for managing and controlling unpredicted calamities. Airports across the world should always work together in developing emergency response plans since travelers and aircrafts operators come from different regions of the world. The governments of all nations across the world should ensure that proper mechanisms for handling emergency incidents are put in place. Working as a unit facilitates sharing of experts and equipment required for efficient emergency response. In summary, every airport should develop an effective emergency response plan, which must be fully implemented. Reference list: Ashford, N. J., Mumayiz, S. A., & Wright, P. H. (2011). Airport engineering: Design, planning, and development of 21st century airports. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Rausch, E., & Carter, H. R. (2007). Management in the fire service. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Smith, J. F., et al. (2013). Model mutual aid agreements for airports. Washington, D.C.: Transportation Research Board. Stambaugh, H., et al. (2009). An airport guide for regional emergency planning for CBRNE events. Washington, D.C: Transportation Research Board. Vincent, C. (2010). Patient Safety. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons. Read More