TRENTON RESIDENTS MAY HAVE BEEN CONCERNED - AS CLOUDS OF BLACK SMOKE FILLED THE SKY, AND EMERGENCY CREWS RUSHED TO THE SOURCE.

IT TURNED OUT TO BE A TRAINING EXERCISE, PUT ON BY CFB TRENTON.

THE SCENARIO -- A MID-AIR COLLISION.

MEZAROS:

"TWO AIRPLANES HAVE COLLIDED MID AIR AND THE REMAINS OF THE PLANES HAVE FALLEN OFF BASE.

SO TODAY WE'RE PRACTICING OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAPABILITIES SHOULD SUCH A CRISIS OCCUR LIKE THAT. WE'RE DOING IT IN CONJUNCTION TODAY WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS THE CITY OF QUINTE WEST AND THE ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE."

IT LOOKED LIKE A CHAOTIC SCENE.

PLANE WRECKAGE LITTERED THE AREA..

MEZAROS:

"THERE HAVE BEEN MANEQUINS THAT HAVE BEEN SIMULATED CASUALTIES, THERE'S PIECES OF PLANE FUSELAGE THAT ARE ALSO MEANT TO SIMULATE THE CRASHED AIRPLANE.

FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS IN PARTICULAR WE'VE HAD SOME FIRES GOING THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN PUTTING OUT."

THE QUINTE WEST FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS FIRST TO ARRIVE AT THE SCENE... A FIELD ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE AIRBASE.

WEHLAN:

"IN REAL LIFE WE FIGURE WE'LL PROBABLY BE THE FIRST ONES ON SCENE IF THIS EVENT HAPPENS WHICH WE HOPE IT NEVER DOES.

SO WHEN WE GOT ON SCENE WE INITIATED SURPRESSION AND TRIED TO LOOK AFTER THE VICTIMS, WHILE WE CALLED IN THE MILITARY PERSONAL."

CFB TRENTON'S BASE COMMANDER WANTED THIS MOCK DISASTER --BUILDING UP TO A LARGER EXERCISE TO TAKE PLACE IN NOVEMBER THAT WILL RUN FOR THREE DAYS.

"OFFICIALS ON SCENE SAY THE EXERCISE WENT FAIRLY SMOOTHLY, HOWEVER THEY WILL CONTINUE TO DO MORE THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER TO ENSURE THAT ALL CREWS ARE ON THE SAME PAGE WHEN IT COMES TO EMERGENCY RESPONSE."

WEHLAN:

"WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VICTIMS WE IN THE FIRE SERVICE USED THE TERM V-S-A, VITAL SIGNS ABSENT.

THEY USE BLACK, CODE BLACK, SO THERE WAS ONE INSTANCE THERE THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT."

COMMUNICATION IS CRUCIAL IN A DISASTER SCENARIO LIKE THIS.

... ENSURING EMERGENCY CREWS RESPOND IN A COORDINATED EFFORT.

IN THIS CASE, THE CASUALTIES WERE FAKE, BUT THE TRAINING WAS VERY REAL.

AMY PERO CKWS NEWSWATCH TRENTON.