Emergency crews to practice rescues at airport light-rail station

Passengers heading in and out of Sea-Tac Airport this week may notice large gatherings of emergency vehicles underneath the Link light rail station and outside the exit to the main terminal garage.

Passengers heading in and out of Sea-Tac Airport this week may notice large gatherings of emergency vehicles underneath the Link light-rail station and outside the exit to the main terminal garage.

This will be part of annual emergency rescue training exercises for south Puget Sound firefighters. No traffic impacts are expected however, this will be a visual distraction for people heading into and out of the airport, according to the Port of Seattle.

The port stresses that these exercises are drills, not real emergencies. The exercises are 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6-Friday, Dec. 9. Multiple emergency response vehicles from agencies throughout the area will be at the site each day. Many will park just outside the exit to the main terminal garage, and drills will be performed at ground level directly below the Link light rail station.

Specialty rescue teams will practice confined space rescues at underground vaults beneath the light rail station. These exercises will simulate actual rescue conditions for persons trapped or disabled in the vaults.

The exercises are part of annual certification requirements for specialty rescue teams.