Massport Fire holds emergency preparedness drill at Logan Airport

BOSTON — Firefighters took on some major flames at Logan Airport over the weekend as a part of a mock training drill.

It looks real, but it was a simulated full-scale training exercise led by Massport Fire and Rescue.

"We practice with water because water is tougher to put out so it gives us a better practice element, if we used foam we'd knock it down a little quicker but by using less fuel and using water it gets close to simulating it but not the real thing," said Massport Fire Rescue Chief Joseph DeGrace.

Saturday morning's emergency preparedness drill was complete with leaking jet fuel, massive flames, and giant plumes of smoke as a fake airplane burned on the runway.

"It allows us to put a real world on it, it's not a power point presentation. They actually get to touch patients, they see them they pseudo-treat them and send them on their way," said Boston EMS Field Operations Superintendent Joe O'Hare.

Massport Fire Rescue has been planning for this drill for five months and partnered up with Boston Fire, Boston EMS, the Coast Guard, and the FBI.

"We like to get to know people before the actual thing happens so that way there we know exactly who our go-to people are when it actually happens," said Boston Fire Deputy Chief Robert Calobrisi.

Massport says the FAA requires them to hold a full-scale training exercise once every three years.

Cox Media Group