Tabletop exercise helps prepare for contingencies

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jeanne Schultz
  • Detachment 9, Air Force News Agency
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany (AFNEWS) --  When an F-16 Fighting Falcon from Spangdahlem AB crashed last fall with the pilot ejecting safely but the jet landed in a field off base, base leaders wanted to improve emergency response procedures even though no one was hurt in the incident.

Local mayors and first responders were invited to the base to discuss what measurements should be taken in case of an emergency such as a plane crash.

Having a plan will help in the future, said Col. Tom Feldhausen, the 52nd Fighter Wing vice commander.

"As we looked in hindsight at ways we could improve our response, one of the things that we wanted to look at carefully was the interaction between base emergency responders and the local community emergency responders," the colonel said.

Approximately 50 German officials joined in the exercise.

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