Officials Apologize for Ill-Timed Fire Drill at Boston Airport

Officials from the Massachusetts Port Authority and Governor Deval Patrick have apologized for conducting a fire training exercise at Boston’s Logan International Airport on the 12th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. The drill consisted of a large object (similar to a plane) being set on fire, causing big flames and heavy smoke, which alarmed witnesses who were unaware that this was not a real emergency.

According to The Boston Globe, Massport had announced the drill earlier, by announcing, “The Fire Department will be training this morning. Smoke on the airfield is part of the training.”

The two planes that hit the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 departed from Logan Airport, and the airport holds a memorial service every year.

After fielding numerous complaints on social media, Massport released a statement saying, “Massport apologizes for conducting the fire training exercise and understands that it may have offended many of those touched by the events of Sept. 11,” reports Boston.com

Governor Patrick also apologized, saying, “I have to believe they just didn’t catch this. The people who experienced 9/11—many of whom work at Massport—I just feel so sorry.”

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(Photo: Logan Airport, Boston, Massachusetts via Leena Robinson/Shutterstock.com)