Inside look at major airline's safety training facility, how flight attendants prepare for emergencies
Following a number of recent plane emergencies, both on the ground and in the air, ABC News got an exclusive look inside one of the training centers where airlines prepare employees to keep people safe.
Earlier this month, passengers on a United Airlines flight were forced to evacuate at Los Angeles International Airport due to an apparent engine fire, and last week, two Air Canada pilots died as a result of a collision with a Port Authority vehicle on the runway at LaGuardia Airport in New York.
At Alaska Airlines' training facility outside Seattle, Washington, crews learn how to prepare for such real world emergencies.
Megan Brown, a Seattle-based flight attendant and instructor at the facility, told ABC News that they train on all the carrier's procedures in order to properly execute if a situation arises.
ABC News transportation correspondent Gio Benitez joined the flight attendants to train on a hyper-realistic mock aircraft to demonstrate how passengers can stay safe in an emergency.
One type of emergency for which flight attendants are trained is a lithium ion battery fire, where the cabin fills with smoke. A flight attendant wearing protective gloves uses a fire extinguisher to put out the flames and uses a fireproof containment bag while the additional crew help evacuate passengers.
Jason Berry, COO of Alaska Airlines, told ABC News that this type of training is crucial for overall safety.
"It's important, because in the air, you can rely on each other and your team to kind of take care of these items. And we want them to be prepared for anything," Berry said.
Last year, there were nearly 100 incidents involving lithium ion batteries on planes, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Alaska Airlines said it estimates there are between 500 and 800 devices on each flight.
For this reason, aviation experts suggest passengers keep any lithium ion batteries under the seat and accessible, not stored above in the overhead bins.
Knowing how many rows there are between your seat and the nearest exit can also be critically important for passengers, especially in a situation where the cabin fills with smoke and they can't see, but could feel and count their way to safety.
Alaska's training also includes water landings, and for passengers, knowing what to expect when inflating a life jacket can help keep them calm if it happens in real life.
During a water landing, a raft that can fit about 56 people would be inflated, and the crew would help set up a canopy that can protect passengers from the elements. Each raft includes a survival kit inside.
In the event of an evacuation, flight attendants say it's imperative to leave all carry-on bags and personal items behind, because it slows down the exit process, and if a fire is spreading quickly, it could mean the difference between life and death.
While passengers may be tempted to tune out the pre-flight safety instructions, having them top of mind could save a life.
"The more you are aware of where your exits are, how your seatbelt works, what to do if those oxygen masks come down, the more prepared you'll be and trust your flight attendants," Brown said.
Experts from the Flight Safety Foundation shared two additional air travel safety tips with ABC News.
First, always keep your seatbelt on while seated, even when the seatbelt sign goes off.
Second, respect the flight crew who have gone through this training and could help save lives.
