Myrtle Beach International Airport holds large-scale emergency training

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - Fire and emergency management crews wrapped up a large-scale training exercise at Myrtle Beach International Airport.

The training is part of a Federal Aviation Administration requirement held every three years.

The drill, designed to test the response to a major emergency, brought together airport employees, firefighters, paramedics, medical examiners, and first responders from surrounding jurisdictions, including Georgetown and Wilmington.

“Should we have to, we are doing everything we can and then some to make sure we’re prepared,” said Patrick O’Leary, the airport’s fire chief and director of emergency management.

O’Leary said that as Myrtle Beach International Airport continues to grow, so needs more advanced emergency response training.

“We try to get more live victims, more actors, so we can increase the realism scenario to it and increase those numbers,” he said. “As planes get bigger and planes get more frequent here in Myrtle Beach, we want to make sure we’re keeping up with that and training to that level.”

Ray Silva, who volunteered as one of the exercise’s live victims, said the experience reassured him that responders are prepared.

“It gave me the understanding that if I am in a situation like this, they’re here to calm me and relax me, because now I know the professionals are there to help me,” Silva said.

Airport spokesperson Ryan Betcher said Myrtle Beach International takes pride in its safety evaluations and hopes drills like this show passengers that crews are ready to respond to emergencies.

“Aviation is a very safe form of travel, and we just want to make sure we are doing our part to ensure that safety, and we’re prepared for any incident that might arise,” Betcher said.

O’Leary said the airport hopes to increase its fire and emergency staff by 20% next year.

The next full-scale emergency exercise is scheduled for 2028.

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