Exercise PHOENIX DOWN
Ally partnered with Vancouver International Airport to strengthen its emergency response capabilities through a comprehensive full-scale exercise simulating a major aircraft incident.
Vancouver International Airport routinely validates its robust emergency plan, and sought an exercise that would stress test interagency coordination during a complex, multi-faceted event. The exercise needed to incorporate both aviation safety and security elements as mandated by Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) and Standards (CASRs). Coordinating the response of over 750 participants across numerous agencies presented a significant logistical challenge.
Ally designed and facilitated Exercise PHOENIX DOWN, a full-scale scenario involving a simulated aircraft accident on airport property. The exercise encompassed five distinct areas of operation and included an eight-hour duration with planned EOC shift changes to assess sustained operational capacity. Focus was placed on validating the Airport’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) procedures for multi-incident management, unified command structures, interagency communications, and mass casualty protocols.
Exercise PHOENIX DOWN successfully validated YVR's existing emergency framework and identified opportunities to refine interagency coordination during a large-scale incident. The exercise enhanced participant understanding of roles and responsibilities within the established Incident Command System, and strengthened operational communications between responding agencies. Vancouver International Airport Authority demonstrated sustained EOC capacity and reinforced its commitment to aviation safety and security.