On Saturday, May 11 a plane was set up to look like a part of a crash scene. Mock accidents like this allow emergency services to practice dealing with difficult situations.
The RCMP, the B.C. Ambulance Service, the Vanderhoof Fire Department and St. John's hospital were all involved. None of them were aware of the exact date and time the mock accident was going to take place on but they knew it was going to happen.
Actors playing the crash victims were set up in the Vanderhoof runway and emergency teams had to locate and treat each victim according to the placement and extent of their injuries.
One very convincing actor was screaming for her family and generally hampering the RCMP officers trying to remover her from the scene.
"This is how we challenge ourselves and this is how we pick up on mistakes and how we can do things better," said Joe Pacheco, Vanderhoof fire chief. "The most important thing is communication, communication, communication."