Dark clouds loom over a nightmare scenario — a plane crashes while attempting to land at Mildura Airport.
Scores of injured are trapped or lay on the runway, some are critical and others crying in pain: Simulated emergency scenarios don't get much more real than this.
It's a biennial airport emergency response simulation, but the first for many of these emergency responders, who are new to their roles.
"These emergency simulations are absolutely critical because personnel change over the couple of years between each of these exercises," Mr Willcock said.
"It's very important that each of us know our roles."
These airport emergency exercises have been practised for decades, but this scenario, planned back in 2019, was finally played out this week after years of COVID delays.
"The airport emergency exercise is a mandatory requirement that normally happens every second year, but the last time we actually ran one was back in 2018," Mrs Willis said.
"One year they do it around the table to discuss what kind of accident it's going to be, then the following year, we role-play it. So this is the role play that we did way back in early 2019.
Over 200 volunteers and emergency service personnel participated in the disaster response.
"These incidents are absolutely paramount in testing not only our processes, but the processes of the other emergency services and the Mildura Airport," Mr Whelan said.
"It's not only how we respond, it's about how we work together as a team of emergency services."
Six emergency service providers including Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria, CFA, Fire Rescue, SES, St Johns Ambulance and the Red Cross, joined airport crews and airline staff in the rescue.
They assisted in freeing trapped passengers, treating injuries and transporting the injured to safety or hospital.
The Red Cross volunteers provided psychological support and connected passengers to their loved ones awaiting news after the crash.
Community steps in as mock victims
A key to the success of the event was the community volunteers acting as trapped passengers, walking wounded and casualties.
The mock Rex flight's 33 passengers and crew were played by volunteers wearing special effects make-up that depicted realistic injuries.
Lauren Kuchel and her family volunteered as injured passengers.
"It was pretty scary sitting on the bus thinking of this as a real accident, but knowing that it wasn't a real accident was reassuring," she said.
"It helps you understand that there's lots of processes in place that needs to be done before rescue services can actually get onto a burning plane or a crashed flight."
Rescue success but room for improvement
Mr Willcock was pleased with the response by emergency services but acknowledged some areas of weakness.
"I think it went really well. But there is some work to be done," he said.
"There are a couple of areas that we noticed will need some improvement before we do the next one."
With the emergency simulation complete the volunteers gathered with the emergency services for a debrief.
"It's amazing that we have something like this in place so that we know all emergency services know what to do in case there is an incident like this," Mrs Kuchel said.
