RESPONSE:YESTERDAY'S AIRCRAFT crash at Cork Airport saw the regional emergency plan activated, with over 100 personnel from the Garda, HSE and Cork city and county fire services, along with airport staff, working to save the aircraft's passengers and crew.
The emergency began at 9.52am when the Manx 2 Metroliner with 10 passengers and crew on board crashed, with the airport’s own fire service responding immediately and extinguishing a fire in one of the aircraft’s engines within three minutes.
By then the airport’s own emergency plan had been activated, but the broader emergency services were alerted at 9.56am when a call went to the Munster Regional Communications Control Centre, which alerted the HSE, the fire services and Garda.
The HSE South responded immediately, with the ambulance control centre in Cork sending eight ambulances, along with three rapid-response vehicles staffed with paramedics and ambulance officers.
Cork City Fire Brigade personnel from Anglesea Street were the first external firefighters on the scene, followed shortly by units of the fire service from Carrigaline, Ballincollig and Bandon that assisted airport firefighters in making the aircraft safe.
Meanwhile, Chief Supt Mick Finn and Supt Charlie Barry dispatched gardaí to the scene, as well as to the evacuation routes, with officers placed at seven junctions to hold traffic and keep routes free for ambulances ferrying the injured to Cork University Hospital.
The Regional Major Emergency Plan was activated at 10.18am and it remained in operation until 11.05am when the HSE, the fire service and the Garda decided to stand down the emergency plan.
According to the HSE, Cork University Hospital established an incident room, relatives’ room, a Garda room and a media room, while psychological support was made available at the hospital and counselling was made available to anyone at the airport affected by the tragedy.