Danbury firefighters heard a distress call for a crash on runway 35 at the local airport Thursday, then burst into action – as part of an important drill.

It was part of a series of high-pressure training drills to help prepare them to save lives in deadly situations.

"When we respond to these emergencies, that happen from time to time, we have to be in the position to be prepared," says Steve Rogers, the fire department's drill commander.

Another scenario featured a combative pilot.

"We don't really practice that because it hasn't occurred," says Michael Safranek, the airport's assistant administrator. "As society changes, it might be more of a possibility."

Fire officials say they usually train at Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts, but they decided to keep it local so first responders could familiarize themselves with the area.

The training, which also included local police, EMS and airport tower personnel, focused on rescue and communication. 

The exercise comes after a number of plane crashes in the area.