Emergency exercise at Mason City Municipal Airport scheduled for Thursday

MASON CITY — A full-scale emergency exercise will be held on Thursday afternoon at the Mason City Municipal Airport.

Airport Manager David Sims says the purpose of the exercise is to give the airport, mutual aid partners and emergency responders the opportunity to train for a real aircraft emergency in a safe and controlled environment. The live exercise is being conducted in compliance with Federal Aviation Administration requirements.

During the exercise, the public may see smoke and emergency vehicles operating at the airport, as many different agencies will be participating. The airport is required by the FAA to maintain an emergency plan, including an airport fire department.

The plan outlines the response procedures for airport personnel and mutual aid partners that must effectively respond to and manage emergency situations that occur on airport property. Federal law requires the plan be tested with a full-scale mock exercise every 36 months.