May 7 , 2004
Lehigh Northampton Airport Authority Will Be Conducting an Aircraft Fire/Rescue Exercise

Lehigh Valley, PA. - The Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority (LNAA), in conjunction with the Northeast Regional Counter-Terrorism Task Force Educational Training Agency will be holding a training exercise beginning Sunday, May 9 through Saturday, May 15, 2004 at various times of the day. In total, there will be over 400 emergency management personnel participating in this extensive training program that will be staged at the air cargo apron at the Lehigh Valley International Airport (LVIA) on the southwest side near Postal Road. A Structural Aircraft Fire Trainer (SAFT) and fuel spill simulator will be used from the State of West Virginia Aeronautics Commission and the West Virginia University State Fire Company to support the exercise.

The training exercise is being hosted by Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority and offered to surrounding firefighting/emergency management personnel. "This type of live burn training is completed each year by each LNAA firefighter who must typically travel to a regional center for this program. The benefit of having the mobile SAFT at LVIA is that all LNAA firefighters can train together at one time along side their mutual aid fire company counterparts who would not normally have the opportunity to train in such a realistic environment," commented George F. Doughty, Lehigh Northampton Airport Authority Executive Director. Funding for the training event has been provided through a grant from the Department of Homeland Security.

Lehigh Valley International Airport is located near Allentown, Pennsylvania and serves a twelve county area with a population of 3.6 million people. The Airport is easily accessible from communities in eastern Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey areas.