The Managing Director of the Kamloops Airport is sharing details about the response to last week’s fatal Snowbirds crash.

Speaking on NL Newsday, Ed Ratuski talked about the response in the moments immediately after the crash happened on May 17.

“It actually worked very well. We have an automatic dialer; as soon as the flight service station initiates a crash along, where they hit a button in the tower, it opens the doors at the fire hall. And our team member on site was responding, and then it automatically dials a sequence of telephone numbers for people to respond.”

Ratuski says everybody was either at the crash site or at the airport responding within 12 to 15 minutes. He was having brunch at home when the call came in.

According to Ratuski, Glenview Avenue in Brocklehurst where the Tutor jet crashed is within the airport’s regulated response area.

“Even if it was beyond that, our team members definitely would’ve gone,” Ratuski added, noting staff at YKA do regular training with Kamloops Fire Rescue. He commended the response by KFR, RCMP and BC Ambulance crews.

“That’s what I think we all saw. Unfortunately, having to put those practices into effect in a real-life scenario, but it also showed how well the teams worked together,” he said.

Capt. Jenn Casey was killed in the crash eight days ago; a funeral procession took place last night in her hometown of Halifax. Meanwhile, the pilot, Capt. Richard McDougall, continues to recover from non-life-threatening injuries.

The cause of the crash is still being investigated, with the Royal Canadian Air Force indicating that the process could take up to a year.