Fire Department to Participate in Simulated Plane Crash

The Inver Grove Heights Fire Department will be one of several emergency response agencies participating in a simulated plane crash Tuesday evening.

As part of a multi-agency training exercise, more than 100 emergency responders will be involved in the drill, a staged crash of a commercial airliner into the Mississippi River near Fort Snelling, according to a press release issued by Hennepin County.

Organizers of the training exercise include the Metropolitan Airports Commission, the Upper Midwest Area Maritime Security Committee, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Metro Water Rescue Workgroup, which is comprised of law enforcement, fire departments, emergency medical technicians, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and private sector businesses that respond to incidents in the Mississippi/Minnesota River confluence.

The groups involved will respond with a variety of equipment and
watercraft, the press release said. A barge will also be moved into a location on the Mississippi to simulate a commercial aircraft in the
water.

Residents can expect to hear sirens and police-radio activity related to the drill.