Niël Terblanché
The Namibia Airports Company (NAC) has successfully completed a tabletop emergency drill at Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo Airport in Ondangwa.
According to the NAC’s Marketing Officer, Dan Kamati said that the test was done to ensure that all the necessary participants in the Aerodrome Emergency Management System (AEMS) are trained up to standard and effective.
Kamati said that the Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo Airport has an approved AEMS and added that it was developed in line with the requirements of Namibia Civil Aviation Regulations (NAMCARs).
“The AEMS contains the requirements related to the training of the participants of the Aerodrome Emergency Management System, which includes testing and review to ensure the system is effective,” he said.
He said that on Tuesday 35 representatives of stakeholders and agencies converged at the Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo Airport to conduct the tabletop emergency exercise to reconfirm that the call-out procedure for the respective emergency codes is up to standard
The exercise was also aimed at establishing the accuracy of the contact details such as telephone numbers, speed dials and radio frequencies are correct as well as to establish if there was any change in personnel who serve as contact persons for the responding agencies
The exercise also needed to establish whether the responding agencies have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities during an aircraft emergency.
Erastus Shoombe, the Manager of the Andimba Toivo Ya Toivoairport said all stakeholders must be ready for all eventualities and that the exercise was relevant because participants had to see how ready they are.
“We are planning a full-scale emergency drill where an incident will be simulated. We are grateful for the cooperation of all stakeholders,” Shoombe said.
Stakeholders who participated in the table-top emergency drill at the airport were the NAC, Oshana Regional Council Disaster and Risk Management, Fly Namibia, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, the Metrological Office, Namibia Protection Services, the Ondangwa Town Council, NAMRA, the Namibia Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Directorate of Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation, the Namibia Defence Force, the Town Councils of Ondangwa, Oshakati and Ongwediva as well as all the hospitals within the Oshana Region.
Shoombe said that he is confident that all participants left the exercise with a solid understanding of their responsibilities and what resources they would bring to any disaster that might occur at the Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo airport.
Kamati stated that the success of the exercise demonstrates that the NAC remains committed to continued professionalism, agility, and vigilance in the provision of world-class safety and security readiness at all our airports.
