Prince George, B.C. – There is no need for alarm  should you happen to see  thick black smoke coming from the area of the Prince George Airport today,  it’s  all part of an emergency exercise.

Under Canadian Aviation Regulations,  all airports have to conduct this kind of  emergency  exercise every  four  years, and for YXS,  that time is today.

Called “Operation Pressure Cooker”,  the Airport’s Superintendent of Emergency Services , Parker Nelson , says  there will be  flames so  teams can put their skills to use “The  flames will be contained to  our Fire Training Centre which is in a controlled area.  If the public sees black smoke coming from the airport,  they don’t need to panic.”

Several  agencies will be taking part in today’s exercise, including  Prince George fire Rescue, Pineview Volunteer Fire Department, Prince George RCMP, Northern Health,  BC Ambulance Service and local airlines.

Exercises such as this are a great way to work as a team to ensure an efficient, timely and safe response” says Prince George Airport Authority President and CEO John Gibson.

Operation Pressure Cooker starts at 10:00 this morning and is expected to go on until 2:00  this afternoon.