Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport Staging Area and Mission Support Designation

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In spring 2017, new airport management along with Wicomico County Emergency Services Team, recognized the valuable disaster relief asset of our Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport. Discussion began with MEMA and FEMA Regional Officials and a plan for assessment was developed.

In 2019, MEMA applied for funding to conduct a Support Mission Assessment across Maryland. As part of this assessment the team examined Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport airport’s infrastructure and capability to support the following disaster response air operations: general population air evacuation, air reception, logistics staging area, aeromedical staging, and air search and rescue. The culmination of this technical assistance is the Airport Operations Plan which provides FEMA, MEMA, and SBY with a concept to utilize the airport during a catastrophic event. The assessment for Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport took place in October 2019 with favorable results.

The Assessment Team from IEM contractors, determined and recommended Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport was suitable for Aircraft services and facilities to support all four mission sets:

a. Air Evacuation/Reception Operations
b. Logistics Staging Area Operations
c. Aeromedical Staging Operations
d. Air Search and Rescue Operations

We are pleased to be recognized as capable to support our Delmarva community in the event of any major disaster. Bob Culver said, “We are a “Community” as well as a Regional Airport. We serve the public for not only transportation needs, but also disaster preparedness for the entire Delmarva peninsula.”

This designation does not bring any federal funding; however, we hope to secure some state and local grant funding to build a large cargo facility as a public private partnership. The facility would house badly needed air cargo and cold storage operations. Then, when a disaster occurs, the facility would easily support two of the four mission sets.

Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport is located in Salisbury, Maryland and in the center of the Delmarva Peninsula. A network of highways that transit though Salisbury to the entire area make for excellent logically support to the entire Peninsula. The Peninsula Regional Medical Center is the only Level III Trauma Center and strategically located with helicopter evacuation currently but during a major disaster, will support mass trauma evacuation via Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport.

The recognition as a leader in community support is an honor- Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport is here to service.