On a normal day, we get a half dozen flights,Come from Away · 2021 — Chapter 3 of 22 · 2'17" · B2
Gander Declares a State of Emergency, Explained: a state of emergency
Dozens of planes divert to a small Newfoundland town in two hours, and the staff race to count, house and move thousands of stranded passengers. A bus strike makes it worse — "Without them, no one's going anywhere." — until the town declares a state of emergency.
What happens
A quiet day at Gander's airport turns into a crisis as thirty-eight planes land in two hours. The staff wrestle with unanswered planes, exhausted crews and a shortage of beds. A bus strike blocks the obvious solution, so the council declares a state of emergency and asks the whole town for help.
Listen for
a state of emergencyon the picket lineDon't quote me on thatconverted into
00:00 / 02:17Space play · ← → lines · R repeat
Now
Tap a line to replay it
Phrase of the scene
a state of emergency
紧急状态（官方宣布的非常状态）
镇长让记者播报，甘德镇议会正式宣布进入紧急状态，所有可用公共建筑改为收容所。
The governor declared a state of emergency before the storm.
Also in this scene
- on the picket line
taking part in a strike
- Don't quote me on that
keep this off the record
- converted into
changed into another use
Everything marked in this scene
24 notes across 39 lines
elision
On a normal day, we get a half dozen flights,and now we already got three times that many landing in two hours.times as many
and now we already got three times that many landing in two hours.-Now I'm adding this up. -And then another, and thenHoly shit!Reg says they're probably just on the wrong frequency.The airplane crews need to be rested, or we'll never get them out of here.need to be done
The airplane crews need to be rested, or we'll never get them out of here.flap
The airplane crews need to be rested, or we'll never get them out of here.Even with all the hotels in town, we've got no room.taking part in a strike
Garth's bus drivers are still on the picket line.keep this off the record
Don't quote me on that.I've got the SPCA lady on the line again asking about animals.Tell Bonnie we've got people to deal with.elision
Tell Bonnie we've got people to deal with.Jesus, that's near as many as we got living here in town.Not to mention food and supplies and anything else that snarls up.Because if anything goes wrong, we have a lot less people to lose.if-clause
Because if anything goes wrong, we have a lot less people to lose."Gander Town Council declares a state of emergency."changed into another use
Any available community buildings will be converted into shelters.future passive
Any available community buildings will be converted into shelters.With thousands of passengers arriving at any minute, the town is asking for help with--Gander Declares a State of Emergency, explained
What's really going on
In a disaster, the first job is to understand the size of it, and the scene is the moment Gander does. Flights arrive three times faster than normal, the numbers climb, and the logistics fail one by one: no beds, no buses, crews who cannot legally fly. The bus strike is the sharpest problem, and the line "Without them, no one's going anywhere." says it plainly. What the scene also shows is the reflex behind the whole story: when the plan breaks, people improvise and ask for help. The council declares a state of emergency not as panic but as a way to unlock resources, and the request that follows is as open as the town itself.
Theme
DutyOfficials and townsfolk take on a crisis far bigger than their town, treating it as their job to solve.
CourageFaced with impossible logistics, the response is to improvise and ask for help rather than give up.
Listen for
- half dozen — elision
- out of here — flap
- deal with — elision
The airplane crews need to be rested, or we'll never get them out of here.A practical constraint amid the chaos: the same rules that protect crews also trap the passengers.
Because if anything goes wrong, we have a lot less people to lose.A chillingly practical answer to why the planes came here: a smaller town means fewer people at risk.
"Gander Town Council declares a state of emergency."The official turning point, reported as news, that unlocks the town's ability to act.
Without them, no one's going anywhere.The blunt summary of the bus strike: no drivers means no way to move the passengers.
For Jesus's sake, I'll tell them where to go!A flash of exasperation that shows how thin the patience is running under the crisis.
Questions about this scene
Why are so many planes landing in Gander?
US airspace has closed after the attacks, so transatlantic flights are diverted to the nearest airports. Gander suddenly receives far more planes than it ever handles.
Why can't they just move the passengers to other towns?
The bus drivers are on strike, so there is no transport. Other towns have offered space, but without buses no one can be moved there.
Why declare a state of emergency?
It gives the town the authority and resources to respond, letting buildings be turned into shelters and letting officials ask for help from the whole community.
What does "on the picket line" mean?
It means the workers are on strike, standing outside their workplace with signs. Here it explains why the buses are not running.
What is the town's biggest problem?
Scale. It has to house and feed thousands of strangers with no beds, no buses, and crews who cannot fly until they rest.
Come from Away · 22 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 4for the love of GodA Town Gathers Supplies
Chapter 1a lay of the landGander Learns of the Emergency
Chapter 2shaking like a leafPlanes Land Unexpectedly in Gander
Watching · Chapter 3a state of emergencyGander Declares a State of Emergency
Chapter 4for the love of GodA Town Gathers Supplies
Chapter 5rumors start flyingPassengers Stuck on Planes for 28 Hours
Chapter 6make no mistakeWaiting on the Plane for News
Chapter 7left over fromPassengers Disembark into the Dark
Chapter 8hear a pin dropGander Finds Translators and Animals
Chapter 9speak the same languageLocals Drive Passengers to the Camp
Chapter 10to the ends of the earthGander Academy Becomes a Shelter
Chapter 11suit yourselfStranded Passengers Wait for News
Chapter 12make small talkGander Locals Take In the Passengers
Chapter 13praise be to GodThe Gayest Town in Newfoundland
Chapter 14there for meA Mother Waits and Tells Jokes
Chapter 15a moment of silenceA Gas Station Falls Silent
Chapter 16jump at one's own shadowA Fight Breaks Out in the Hallway
Chapter 17take the plungeThe Screech-In Ceremony
Chapter 18Don't be a strangerGander Says Goodbye to the Visitors
Chapter 19take seriouslyA Muslim Passenger Is Searched
Chapter 20seize the momentDiane and Nick at the Lookout
Chapter 21ground zeroThe Aftermath Back Home
Chapter 22a big breakGander Remembers the Plane PeopleChapter 3 of 22 · about 67 min to go