BYU’s Emergency Medical Services responded to a staged Mass Casualty Incident on campus as part of their training on March 11.
Emergency Medical Services coordinates this event each semester to give the technicians hands-on experience, according to Supervisor in the BYU Emergency Medical Services agency Court Webster. There is a different supposed situation each semester and the emergency medical technicians (EMTs) have to respond to the individual needs of every victim.
“MCI, or Mass Casualty Incident, is a large training exercise where we can use all of our skills that we’ve learned and implement them into a natural disaster or emergency situation,” Webster said.
This semester’s mock disaster was the aftermath of a deranged terrorist who drove through campus during a passing period and hit as many students as he could, according to participant Jacey Gardner.
Gardner studies Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Makeup Design. She helped do some of the makeup for the participants, which took almost four hours.
“It’s good experience to put on our resumes, and it’s just super fun,” Gardner said.
Gardner has been acting in these mock disasters since 2013 and enjoys participating.
Nearly 100 students participated by acting as victims. After their makeup and other injuries were applied, they laid down on the sidewalk and waited for the EMTs to arrive.
Each technician recieved a text around 3 p.m. with the details of the incident and instructions for where to go, according to volunteer technician Andrew Damron.
The EMTs, along with BYU nursing students, then received assignments and began treating the victims as if it were a real emergency situation.
“We’re just training for a crazy disaster,” Damron said.
The entire process took about an hour. The victims and EMTs then took a lunch break and prepared to practice the whole situation a second time.
This is an event many EMTs look forward to in the semester, according to Damron.
Webster said being a part of the Emergency Medical Services program has been very fulfilling in addition to be a lot of fun.
“The EMS program has been one of the best opportunities that I have had to serve on this campus,” Webster said.
