Charlotte County, Punta Gorda Airport hold mass-casualty drill

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (WWSB) - Charlotte County Fire EMS and Punta Gorda Airport partners conducted a full-scale exercise Tuesday simulating a mass-casualty aircraft incident, according to Charlotte County Public Safety.The FAA-required drill tested how crews would respond to a major airport emergency.First responders practiced incident command, patient triage, treatment and transportation. Crews also worked on establishing and maintaining a water supply at the scene.Charlotte Technical College students and Community Emergency Response Team volunteers served as simulated victims and patients. Punta Gorda Airport staff helped plan the exercise and acted as evaluators, Charlotte County Public Safety said.Large-scale drills give first responders and partner agencies a chance to practice working together before an actual emergency.They also help agencies identify areas that may need improvement.