NSW Rural Fire Service members and a RAAF medic - concentrating on the task at hand.

Emergency agencies were put to the test recently in a Crash Exercise at Williamtown that saw a simulated C-130 accident on the runway.

The exercise not only involved all the RAAF Emergency agencies but a large civilian contingent including NSW Ambulance, Fire Brigade, Police, SES, Newcastle Airport, Rural Fire Service, Hunter Area Health Service and Westpac Rescue.

The exercise provided valuable experience for participants and tested the RAAF Williamtown Airfield Emergency Plan as explained by Squadron Leader Don Thornton, 'It's not often that we get to do this and we want to try to be as realistic as we can to provide training for all the agencies involved'. The CRASHEX also formed the final part of the Flying Safety Officers' Course being held at Williamtown.

RAAF firefighters carry out a casualty during the Exercise.

To put the participants through their paces the simulated accident scene was a C-130 Hercules which had impacted the ground near the runway with 17 passengers and crew on board and fuel and hydraulic fluid 'spilling' on to the ground. The fuselage was still intact but there were casualties in the wreckage who required attention and who had been 'moulaged' with simulated injuries for further realism.

Coordinating the large amount of activity on the airfield was the Emergency Operations Centre lead by Williamtown Base Commander, Wing Commander Peter Shinnick. WGCDR Shinnick indicated he felt the exercise had worked well and had provided a valuable exercising of rescue agencies and Base airfield emergency procedures.