Airport terminal evacuations are relatively uncommon, but preparing for them will always be crucially important.
Critical incident management consultant Richard Duncan gave Airports International his views, based on 30 years’ operational experience within the fire and rescue service in the UK.“Any evacuation during a critical incident becomes a much bigger challenge dependent on the particular circumstances,” he said.
“For example, if a chemical incident occurs within the terminal and the noxious substance enters the ventilation system, do the predetermined muster points for the evacuation remain valid? Who identifies alternatives? How is that communicated to the personnel directing the evacuation? Are the personnel directing the evacuation trained in dynamic risk assessment? Who makes the decisions and controls the evacuation process?
