Passengers flying in or out of Portland International Jetport on Saturday may see what appears to be the scene of a major crash, with emergency vehicles, injured passengers being treated for wounds and family members waiting anxiously for news of their loved ones’ fate.

But barring a true disaster, what they see won’t be real.

The jetport plans to conduct an exercise Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until noon to test the ability of its staff and local emergency-response teams in a crisis. It will involve the Portland Fire Department, the local Red Cross, the state Medical Examiner’s Office and other agencies.

Jetport Director Paul Bradbury said an all-hands emergency exercise is required every three years for airports to maintain their certification. The details of each simulated crisis are kept secret from responders until the day of the event, he said.

“They want me to be in the dark on purpose,” Bradbury said.

In the past, simulations have involved actors made up with fake wounds, he said. One year, the Coast Guard joined in for a simulated crash landing in Casco Bay.

“We do all different types of scenarios,” Bradbury said.

Portland Deputy Fire Chief Robert Stewart said the department requested a drill that would involve a “mass casualty incident” in which passengers with injuries of varying severity would have to be transported to hospitals, treated on the scene or released to their families.

Emergency responders will test their ability to prioritize treatment and transport, track the progress and location of each passenger, and keep loved ones – played by actors – informed of the situation.

“They’re going to want some information right away about what’s going on,” Stewart said.

At the end of the exercise, the emergency teams will have to account for every passenger.

“If we know where all the passengers are … that would be a success for us,” he said.

Bradbury said those participating in the exercise will be evaluated by operations personnel from other airports, members of the Federal Aviation Administration, and one another. He isn’t expecting a perfect evaluation.

“You don’t learn unless you make mistakes,” Bradbury said. “We take the things that we’ve learned, and we fix them, or we improve upon them.”

J. Craig Anderson can be contacted at 791-6390 or at:

canderson@pressherald.com

Twitter: @jcraiganderson

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