The Sierra Blanca Regional Airport, which is owned by the Village of Ruidoso, will be conducting a full-scale emergency exercise on Tuesday, April 5 in an effort to comply with FAA regulations. This exercise will test the airport's abilities to handle an aircraft emergency while coordinating a response and communications effort with mutual aid partners around Lincoln County.

The exercise will include pyrotechnics, smoke, actors portraying casualties from the emergency, friends and family of the injured, media personnel covering the story, emergency vehicles responding to the airport, and support organizations arriving to assist as they would all do in a real-life scenario.

The following organizations will be taking part in the exercise and will be receiving their own required certifications:

Sierra Blanca Regional Airport Aircraft Rescue & Firefighting Department
Ruidoso Fire Department
Ruidoso Police Department
Village of Ruidoso Public Information Officer
Bonito Volunteer Fire Department
Lincoln Volunteer Fire Department
Lincoln County Office of Emergency Services
Lincoln County Emergency Medical Services
Lincoln County Medical Center
Lincoln County Sheriff's Office
Lincoln County On-Scene Support Team
New Mexico State Police
New Mexico Department of Homeland Security
New Mexico Red Cross
New Mexico HAM Radio Operators