How can you create a comprehensive airport emergency plan?

1 Assess the risks

The first step is to identify and analyze the potential hazards and threats that could affect your airport, such as fire, weather, terrorism, accidents, or pandemics. You should consider the likelihood and severity of each scenario, as well as the vulnerability and exposure of your airport. You can use tools such as risk matrices, checklists, or surveys to help you with this process. The risk assessment should also include a review of your existing capabilities, resources, and gaps.

2 Define the objectives

The next step is to define the objectives and goals of your AEP, based on the results of your risk assessment. You should establish what you want to achieve in terms of protecting life, property, and operations, as well as minimizing disruption and restoring normalcy. You should also determine the scope and scale of your AEP, such as whether it applies to the whole airport or specific areas, and whether it covers all phases of emergency management or focuses on specific ones.

3 Develop the procedures

The third step is to develop the specific procedures and protocols for each type of emergency, based on your objectives and scope. You should outline the roles and responsibilities of each agency, department, or unit involved in the response, as well as the chain of command and authority. You should also specify the actions and tasks that need to be performed, such as notification, activation, mobilization, coordination, and deactivation. You should also include the communication and information systems that will be used to share situational awareness and updates.

4 Allocate the resources

The fourth step is to allocate the necessary resources and equipment for your AEP, based on your procedures and protocols. You should identify what human, material, financial, and technical resources you have available, as well as what you need to acquire or supplement. You should also determine how you will distribute, store, maintain, and access these resources in case of an emergency. You should also consider the training and education needs of your staff and partners, as well as the public awareness and education campaigns.

5 Test and evaluate

The fifth step is to test and evaluate your AEP, based on your objectives and scope. You should conduct regular exercises and drills to simulate different scenarios and test the effectiveness and efficiency of your procedures, protocols, and resources. You should also collect feedback and data from all participants and observers, as well as from external sources, such as media, regulators, or customers. You should analyze the results and identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges of your AEP.

6 Update and improve

The final step is to update and improve your AEP, based on your test and evaluation results. You should review and revise your AEP periodically, or whenever there are changes in your risk environment, objectives, scope, procedures, protocols, or resources. You should also incorporate the lessons learned and best practices from your own or other airports' experiences, as well as from the latest research and standards. You should also communicate and disseminate the changes and improvements to all stakeholders and partners.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?