Emergency personnel from over 30 agencies converged on O’Hare International Airport Saturday for a “realistic emergency exercise.”
The exercise began at 10 a.m. and included a simulated aircraft fire, the Chicago Department of Aviation said. The exercise was meant to “test the capabilities, mobilization, communication and coordination among agencies.”
The exercise also featured volunteers posing as airline passengers, with theatrical makeup applied to make it look like they had been injured, authorities said.
“Travelers may see a heightened police presence and emergency vehicle stage,” Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a tweet. “This is all part of the exercise.”
The exercise is expected to be finished sometime in the early afternoon, Guglielmi said.
