ORLANDO, Fla. – The plane crash from Washington DC has significantly impacted many travelers, including a couple of sisters from Maryland who said the tragedy is unbelievable.
Briana Tillar-Word and her sister Camille Tillar arrived in Orlando after their 9 am flight was delayed due to the tragic plane crash.
They learned about the crash and delay overnight and didn’t leave until 1 pm.
Briana Tillar-Word expressed her disbelief, saying, “No survivors is ridiculously sad. Especially, when you hear there were kids in a traveling group. We’ve traveled for competitions and things like that. It was very nerve-wracking and anxiety-driven, very much heightened.”
Tillar-Word says they couldn’t stop thinking about the victims and their families from this tragedy and about their own safety.
“There’s usually precautions that would help track some. That type of thing doesn’t happen,” Tillar-Word said. “So for it to have happened so close to home it’s like what is going on? We’re just hoping that it doesn’t happen we have our other sister coming on a nighttime flight so we’re praying that she makes it here safe.”
In Orlando, several local officials came together for the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association Meeting, and Wednesday night’s devastating plane crash was top of mind.
We spoke with Seminole County and Osceola County emergency management directors, who would be in charge of handling a plane crash like that if it happened in Central Florida.
Bill Litton, the emergency management director for Osceola County, explained the various notification systems in place for critical incidents.
“We have different notifications that could come from our county dispatch center, alerting us to a critical incident, or from our fire alarm enforcement if a major incident has expanded and requires additional assistance,” Litton said. “These notifications could also come from the state. My partnership extends to our airport, including the Kissimmee Gateway Airport. We work very closely with air operations, as well as with NOAA and the Orlando International Airport.”
Both directors mentioned that every year the county performs training based on plane crash scenarios at the airport. They work with law enforcement, local hospitals, and more to sharpen their skills on how they could help if such a tragedy happens here.
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