Full-scale readiness drill is required every three years
Not the real thing!
Emergency crews are practicing how to handle a real emergency at Hancock Airport
 / Photojournalist Quindell Williams
Lots of flames, smoke and emergency personnel at Syracuse's Hancock Airport on Saturday morning, in
a drill to ensure that first responders know what to do if there were an actual emergency.
The test: a plane, wired up for feedback, was set on fire, and emergency crews had to respond and react. One of the reasons for the drill, is to ensure that everyone involved is connecting appropriately with other responders. And lots of agencies and companies were involved, including the airlines, Transportation Security Administration, the City of Syracuse Police and Fire Departments, the Syracuse Air National Guard, the Air Traffic Control Tower, C&S Engineers, the Red Cross, and other first responders and mutual aid organizations from throughout Onondaga County.
The actual 'emergency' is now over, but over the next weeks the debrief will analyze how well all involved responded, and how the response can be made quicker and more efficient.