Ready Together: Inside Emergency Management at AUS

When an emergency happens at an airport, every second matters. From airport employees and airlines to emergency responders, preparedness depends on people working together and understanding their role before an incident occurs. 

At Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), that coordination begins long before an emergency. We sat down with Ron Derrick, AUS Airport Emergency Management Officer, to learn how the airport prepares for the unexpected and keeps its emergency plans ready. 

Working Together Before an Emergency Happens 

Long before an emergency occurs, the Airport Emergency Management team works with airport employees, airlines, and other airport partners to make sure everyone knows their role and is prepared to respond. 

Airlines share their emergency response plans with the Emergency Management team so they can be ready and coordinated with the airport's procedures.  The team also works with AUS employees to review emergency plans and business continuity plans, which outline how each team within Austin Aviation would continue operating during an emergency. 

“Everybody has to respond to the same sheet of music, and it’s pretty much choreographed,” Derrick explained. 

Training for the Real Thing 

Emergency preparedness isn't just about having a plan on paper. It's also about practicing that plan and making sure the people responsible for carrying it out know their roles. 

The Emergency Management team works on both smaller, discussion-based exercises and larger, hands-on training opportunities. Tabletop exercises help airport partners work through decisions and communication needs, while full-scale exercises put those plans into practice in a simulated real-world environment. 

Earlier this year, AUS conducted a full-scale emergency exercise involving the Austin Police Department, Aircraft Fire and Rescue, Austin Fire Department, Austin-Travis County EMS, and partner agencies including the American Red Cross, Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and our own Austin Aviation employees. During the exercise, participants responded to a simulated emergency that included unexpected changes that changed the situation and challenged departments to communicate and coordinate on the fly. 

Scenarios like this help the team evaluate how well plans work in practice, identify areas for improvement, and strengthen coordination between agencies before an actual emergency occurs. 

The scenarios may be simulated, but the preparation helps build the confidence, coordination, and experience needed when a real emergency happens. 

Preparedness Is an Ongoing Effort 

Emergency management is never a one-and-done project. As AUS continues to grow and welcome new airlines and business partners, the Emergency Management team regularly reviews its plans and connects with airport partners to make sure everyone understands emergency procedures, knows who to contact, and is prepared to coordinate a response. 

For Derrick, that preparation is all about working “left of boom.” 

“We try to work left of boom, because right of boom is response. You know, the boom happens, and then you respond. But we want to work left of boom and understand how everything's going to work and how everybody's going to respond,” Derrick explained. 

In emergency management, “left of boom” refers to work done before an incident, including planning, training, and coordination. “Right of boom” is what happens after an incident occurs, when emergency responders put those plans into action.  

Preparedness also means thinking beyond the initial response. Recovery is an important part of emergency management, and restoring operations, supporting affected individuals and helping the airport community return to normal all require continued coordination and communication. 

 At AUS, that work doesn't stop when a plan is written or an exercise ends. It's an ongoing effort to help ensure the airport community is ready for whatever comes next.