If you saw emergency response vehicles, smoke, or other unusual activity at the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport on Wednesday, it was just a drill.
The airport held a full-scale emergency response exercise that simulated the conditions airport and emergency personnel could encounter during a disaster.
The purpose of the exercise was to test and evaluate the preparedness and capabilities of the airport and local response agencies.
"We're a commercial air service airport and we have to exercise all those emergency response capabilities every third year to meet that certification," explained Craig Piper, San Luis Obispo County Department of Airports Deputy Director.
Regular flights were not affected by the drill.
Participating agencies included: San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport, CAL FIRE, SkyWest Airlines, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Transportation Security Administration, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office, Air Traffic Control, San Luis Ambulance, American Red Cross, San Luis Obispo City Fire, and the County Office of Emergency Services.
