Aviation Disasters - Escalating Events:
Strategies to Save Lives & Protect Communities

Billions of people and millions of tons of cargo are carried by thousands of commercial airplanes, departing from large airports that have become cities on their own. The tremendous growth of air traffic - which is expected to double within the next 15 years - increases the worldwide risk of calamities, caused by technological failures, natural events, or human actions. Aviation incidents are complex occurrences, involving many jurisdictions and interests. Those occurrences can result can result in international implications and can have a tremendous impact on local and national economies. This is particularly evident in the case of terrorist attacks.

The presentation will summarize recent catastrophes, ranging from plane crashes, to airport terminal bombings and fires, to security threats, and provide tools to determine probabilities and vulnerabilities. Existing rules and regulations and the need of a comprehensive emergency management program involving airports, airlines, the private sector, local communities, and federal agencies will be illustrated.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn how to identify aviation-specific hazards and the potential impact on air traffic, communities, and businesses at large.
  
  
• Learn what resources and procedures are needed to prepare for, respond to (in order to save lives and control the incident), and recover from situations such as plane crashes, terminal fires, explosions, and acts of terrorism and ultraviolence.
  
  
• Learn about the physical and psychological exposure to those responding to an airplane crash.
  
  
• Learn to evaluate the extent of resources needed for response and recovery operations.
  
  
• Learn the specific rules and responsibilities of distinct private, non-profit, and governmental agencies in plane crashes and other aviation incidents.
  
  
• Understand the human dynamics for those involved in the aftermath of a major aviation disaster, including the impression given by the media.