GULF SHORES — The Gulf Shores International Airport (GUF) conducted a full-scale emergency exercise to ensure the area's first responders are prepared to deal with anything that could come their way with the new commercial airline coming to Gulf Shores.

Over 125 community volunteers and nearly 20 organizations participated with around 53 emergency management personnel, according to a press release on the event. Gulf Shores High School (GSHS) students participated in the exercise by playing “victims” and “family members” in staged accidents across the runway for first responders to access and care for.

One student in the GSHS aviation program, Makayla Collins, was to act like someone who had been in a plane crash but did not sustain any visible injuries. She said she could have never expected this to be a part of her aviation education.

As someone who plans to attend flight school after graduating from GSHS this year, Collins said she felt this exercise was necessary.

“If there is a plane crash here, it’s very important that all the first responders know how to respond to the situation,” Collins said.

She said she felt this was specifically important as GUF’s first commercial airline, Allegiant, is set to have its first flight on May 21.

Collins said the experience overall was “very fun, very hot, very interesting.”

As stated in the press release, other students who played injured victims were provided with “trauma makeup” to look the part. With the students’ participation, first responders got “hands-on learning” for how to properly address emergency situations at an airport.

GUF Airport Director Jesse Fosnaugh said in the press release, “This exercise is critical for building hands-on situational awareness and strengthening coordination among agencies in the unlikely event of an aircraft emergency.”

He said the drill required “everyone named in our emergency plan” to ensure execution was possible and successful.

“We are grateful to all of the emergency response personnel, airport staff and community organizations who work diligently to keep our residents and visitors safe every day,” Fosnaugh said in the release.

The release states this exercise is required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for commercial service airports to “ensure preparedness for real-world emergencies.” The FAA requires this exercise to be completed once every three years.

Organizations and agencies involved in the emergency exercise included Gulf Shores Fire Department and Police Department, City of Gulf Shores Public Works and Emergency Management, Foley and Orange Beach Fire and Rescue teams, Orange Beach Police Department, Robinson Aviation Inc., Medstar Ambulance, South Baldwin Regional Medical Center, Thomas Hospital, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), FAA, GSHS, GSHS aviation program, Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency, Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and the American Red Cross.