The San Francisco International Airport (SFO) completed its annual emergency exercise on September 20. The exercise simulated a security incident to test emergency procedures for communication, incident command, and coordination between multiple agencies.
Although federal regulations require U.S. airports to conduct such a drill once every three years, SFO conducts this emergency exercise annually to ensure the highest level of readiness.
“Safety and security are our highest priorities, and the annual emergency exercise plays an important role in our ongoing process to practice and enhance SFO’s response capabilities,” said Airport Director Ivar C. Satero. “I appreciate the involvement of so many local, state, and federal agencies to ensure a well-coordinated response to any emergency situation at SFO.”
Agencies participating in the exercise included the following:
- American Medical Response
- U.S. Customs & Border Protection
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- San Francisco Fire Department
- San Francisco Police Department
- San Mateo County Department of Public Health
- Signature Flight Support
- SFO 911 Dispatch Center
- Transportation Security Administration
- United Airlines
The exercise also demonstrated the capabilities of the SFO Emergency Operations Center, which serves as the focal point of the airport’s efforts to restore normal operations following an event, and SFO Mobile Command Post, a purpose-built vehicle that gives incident commanders full situational awareness, including coordinated communication and CCTV access regardless of location.
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