Grand Island Police Department -

Grand Island, Neb. — The Central Nebraska Regional Airport, in collaboration with the City of Grand Island and various Hall County emergency response agencies, conducted its triennial full-scale emergency exercise Tuesday morning.

Completion of the exercise is required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) every three years, and it tested the airport’s Emergency Response Plan in a simulated aircraft-related incident. The drill provided essential training for airport staff and first responders, focusing on coordination, communication, and operational readiness in the event of an actual emergency.

The airport’s on-site firefighting team, specially trained to respond to aviation incidents, led the initial response efforts. The exercise also incorporated participation from multiple city and county departments, including fire, police, emergency management and medical personnel, reinforcing the importance of a unified, multi-agency approach to public safety.

“The purpose of this drill is to test our communications, our logistics and just to test how well we work with our mutual aid,” CNRA Executive Director Mike Olson said. “We’ve got different radio frequencies, and the logistical part of where to go – if you’re coming from the city in a fire truck, what gate do you go to?”

The City of Grand Island thanks all participating agencies and volunteers who contributed to the success of this important training event.