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On Saturday, September 20, 2008 6:15pm, Manchester-Boston Regional Airport will conduct an emergency preparedness exercise. The exercise will involve over 85 different agencies which are part of the airport’s emergency plan. In addition, approximately 100 volunteers will take part in the drill which is based on a mock aircraft incident.

The exercise will take place at dusk and will run for approximately 2 hours. Although details of the scenario will not be released until the drill begins, the airport has designated an area on the east side of the airfield which will be utilized for the drill and closed to all air traffic. The airport will remain open during the drill and there will be no impact to normal flight activity.

Airport Director Mark Brewer stated that, "This exercise will provide the airport with valuable insight into the effectiveness of our emergency plans and procedures. We will analyze every aspect of the exercise and will make adjustments to insure the effectiveness of our plan. We value the relationships that we have developed with all of our mutual aid partners, and we appreciate the commitment they have made in planning for this exercise."

Members of the media are cordially invited to attend and observe the exercise. Please RSVP to Tom Malafronte, Assistant Director-Air Service Development and Marketing at (603) 624-6539 or e-mail tmalafronte@flymanchester.com