L.I. College Students Take Part In 'Mass Casualty Incident' Simulation
NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A hands-on drill took place on Long Island on Thursday in response to the Boston Marathon bombing. Using live actors and mannequins, hospitals and medical students responded to a simulated domestic terrorism crisis.
Nursing students from Molloy College acted as frantic victims as part of a domestic terrorism drill in New Hyde Park.
"We're pretending right now that maybe something catastrophic happened and we are the first receivers of the hospital," student Lenny Mormino told CBS 2's Jennifer McLogan.
The students acted out a situation in which they were at a home team football game and an explosion took place.
The scenario played out near the grounds of North Shore LIJ Hospital, where mass casualties arrived by the dozens from a mock sporting event disaster.
"They are self-evacuating and also coming in by ambulances. Then they're being monitored to make sure they have no radiation or chemical poisoning on them and coming into a treatment area," said Anthony Egan, a North Shore LIJ emergency response trainer.
The actors were divided into groups -- victims who had survived an improvised explosive device and others dealing with the aftermath of chemical warfare.
"Very similar in nature to the Boston explosions -- items that are man-made or in some cases, natural disasters, that can affect us at any time," said trainer Roberty Picciano.
The survivors were treated in triage by students in a Federal Emergency Management Agency-sponsored class.
"So we're putting all the pieces together -- how to de-con patients, how to de-con our own team," said Tara Brown.
Following the Boston bombing, FEMA's Center for Domestic Terrorism brought the training to New York, expanding it for the first time to hospitals and students.
FEMA's domestic terrorism course will last for three days on site and in the classroom.
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