VALPARISO — The scene was appropriately grim Thursday for the simulated jet crash training exercise.
Airplane pieces and people lay scattered throughout Valparaiso’s equipment yard. A barrel was on fire and smoke billowed from one section of the property and from a supply shed.
It was the aftermath of an F-16 from Eglin Air Force Base crashing into the yard filled with workers, Valparaiso Fire Chief Mark Norris said of the exercise for local firefighters and Eglin emergency response teams.
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The practices are important, considering the city’s location at the edge of the base and its runway, he said.
Norris said the arriving units from Valparaiso, Eglin, and the Niceville and East Niceville fire departments would need to account for the hazards associated with a crashed military plane, such as exotic metals, jet fuel, munitions, air packs and more.
Crews also would need to assess the victims — five city workers and the two F-16 pilots with injuries marked with makeup — and get them the care they needed.
Valparaiso and Eglin officials graded the firefighters and emergency crews against a checklist of items, from how they entered the equipment yard to how they notified other agencies, said Lt. Col. Lenora Cook, Eglin’s team chief. Recommendations and commendations will be shared with the crews today.
“The most important thing we’re looking for is to support Valparaiso because they’d be the leading agency in this,” Cook said.
Within minutes of the emergency siren sounding, Valparaiso firefighters arrived, unloaded hoses and began moving through the yard one section at a time to put out the simulated fires. As they cleared one area they discovered two dead city workers — actually mannequins
The remaining firefighters arrived and got an update from Valparaiso. The two F-16 pilots who had ejected from the jet then trudged from the tree line to the firefighters, who began assessing their injuries and moving them from the scene. Slowly, the yard began to clear.
Somewhat unsettlingly, aircraft flying their regular routes soared directly overhead during the exercise.
Daily News Staff Writer Lauren Delgado can be reached at 850-315-4445 or ldelgado@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @LaurenDnwfdn.