WILLIAMSTOWN - With only a few days left, the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport is running in high gear to have the facility ready for the Air Expo 2012 on Sunday.
"There is a lot going on and it is all for the security and safety of everyone involved," said airport manager Terry Moore.
Although the air show is a one-day event, airport officials take weeks to prepare.
Moore has daily briefings with his staff about the air show so everyone knows what to do and how to do it, the airport continues to function.
"There's already normal business going on up here and the air show just adds to it," Moore said. "The daily meetings are to sort out what is going on and to make sure everyone is on the right track."
There are traditionally more than 20,000 people at the airport for the air show and that can make safety and security difficult.
Fact Box
Air Expo 2012
- The Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport officials and employees are working to ready themselves and the facility for the Air Expo 2012 on Sunday.
- Items, such as fencing, are being added to the grounds while the fire trucks and emergency medical vehicles are being prepared as precautionary safety measures.
- While the exhibition takes place at the airport, officials of the facility have little to do with the air show, as it is organized by a committee.
"It's not just airport security, but also the comfort and safety of all involved," Moore said.
Along with airport staff, there will also be a presence from members of the Wood County Sheriff's Office, TSA and area emergency departments.
"Presence is the No. 1 step," Moore said. "Not only for the airport itself but for those here."
Last month, Moore and emergency planners with the Wood County 911 Center, area fire departments, law enforcement agencies and other aid organizations participated in an emergency planning meeting for the air show.
"That and the fire training are things we can do to make sure things run smoothly and there are no problems," Moore added.
To ensure everyone is where they are supposed to be, fencing will be put up to secure areas as well as restricted access to the terminal and North ramp with a boundary to keep people away from the terminal itself.
"We will still have commercial service and passengers need to feel safe and not be in the middle of the air show crowd," Moore said.
The Silver Airways commercial flights with the flight departing locally at 10:30 a.m. and returning at 6:30 p.m. are expected to be on time. The air show is expected to run from noon to 5 p.m.
Moore said he has recommended that Mary's Plane View Restaurant, in the terminal, be closed.
"We are taking passive measures and pushing the crowd a little bit away with restricted access to certain areas," Moore added.
Moore said that while the airport is the location of the expo, the airport officials do not organize it.
"We just help it to happen," he said. "The hard work is done by a committee that begins to get everything together the August before the show is expected to be.
"So, next summer work on the next air show will probably start."
This year's theme is "A Salute to Those Who Serve" and will recognize members of the military, law enforcement and emergency services, with police vehicles, fire trucks and other emergency vehicles on display at the event.
