Dulles Airport to Conduct Major Overnight Emergency Exercise Oct. 29

DULLES, VA — A major emergency response and recovery exercise will be conducted by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) at Washington Dulles International Airport during the overnight hours of Saturday, October 29, into Sunday, October 30, according to a MWAA announcement.

Numerous emergency vehicles and response personnel will be visible at the Main Terminal between 11 p.m. and 4:30 a.m. Flights and passenger services will continue to operate normally throughout the exercise.

It is only an exercise and will not be not open to the public.

During the exercise, a portion of the Arrivals (baggage claim) level inside the Main Terminal will be closed to the public. There will be little direct impact to passengers. The airport typically has a small number of scheduled flights during the time period of the exercise. Baggage from arriving flights will be routed to open carousels, and airport personnel will be on hand to help passengers navigate around closed areas and assure them the emergency scenario is not a real incident.

The exercise will simulate a law enforcement incident originating inside the terminal in a closed-off area. The emergency response will involve the participation of Airports Authority Police, Fire and Rescue and Airport Operations, as well as first responders from surrounding jurisdictions. Several volunteers will wear make-up to play the roles of victims fleeing the incident and seeking assistance.

Outside the terminal, a large number of emergency vehicles will be visible along the roadway until the exercise concludes. Even though passenger traffic is expected to be light, police will be onsite to guide vehicles around the area, according to MWAA.

Image credit: MWAA