Is Sea-Tac ready for a plane crash?

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SEA-TAC INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT -- Many can't get over that so many people survived the terrible airliner crash in San Francisco, but what if a similar situation happened at Sea-Tac?

Are first responders at our airport prepared to handle hundreds of injuries on the tarmac?

The Port of Seattle Fire Department runs drills daily for that worst-case scenario, and they also train on a salvaged airplane fuselage every three years. That training is required by the Federal Aviation Administration.

“All airports across the country, including us, train every day in hopes that this doesn’t happen,” said Chief Randy Krause. “We’re ready in case it does.”

Krause’s department has many pieces of equipment standing at the ready in case an airplane crashes.

“We’re honing our craft every day through the small incremental elements of a big response,” said Krause.

The Port of Seattle has a giant tractor-trailer that holds enough emergency medical supplies for more than 300 patients -- and inside the state-of-the-art command center first responders have a bird’s-eye view of any disaster.

Krause is eager to learn what worked – and maybe what didn’t work – in San Francisco, and put those ideas into training at Sea-Tac in case the unthinkable happens.

“If it were to happen here, I know that we’re ready,” Krause said. “I want to learn as much as I can from my brothers and sisters in San Francisco and I know that they’ll share that with us on the lessons that they learn.”

All of the port’s firefighters are also EMTs, so they can immediately help triage any injuries.

Plus, firefighters don’t just stay at the airport – they also get live fire training with other departments in the surrounding communities when help is needed.