Jersey Shore Hatzalah recently partnered with the Linda Grunin Simulation Lab at Monmouth University to conduct a first of its kind Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) training exercise, providing members with a unique opportunity to prepare for one of the most complex situations an emergency medical service can face.
The exercise was designed to simulate a real-life mass casualty incident from the initial response through triage, treatment, transport, and arrival at the hospital. Hatzalah members were challenged to manage multiple injured patients at once while coordinating resources and communicating across multiple agencies and levels of care.
To make the experience as realistic as possible, the simulation incorporated live patient actors, high fidelity medical manikins, professional moulage, and realistic injuries. Members were tasked with assessing the scene, performing mass casualty triage, prioritizing patients, initiating treatment, and coordinating their evacuation and transport.
A major focus of the drill was continuity of care. Participants practiced patient handoffs between Jersey Shore Hatzalah BLS crews, ALS paramedics, flight medical crews, and hospital emergency department staff. An RWJBarnabas Health LifeFlight helicopter also participated in the exercise, allowing members to experience the additional coordination required for aeromedical transport.
The Monmouth County Office of Emergency Medical Services also brought its Medical Ambulance Bus (MAB) to the drill. Members had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the MAB and its capabilities, including the important role it can play in the treatment and transport of multiple patients during a large-scale incident.
The training tested much more than clinical skills. Members were challenged to communicate effectively, work as a team, establish leadership roles, make rapid decisions, and manage limited resources in a complex and evolving environment. Hatzalah dispatchers were also actively involved in the exercise, practicing emergency communications and resource coordination under the pressure of a high-stress, rapidly evolving MCI scenario.
While incidents of this magnitude are thankfully uncommon, being prepared for them requires training that goes beyond the classroom. Exercises like this allow responders to experience the challenges of a large-scale emergency in a controlled setting and help ensure that Jersey Shore Hatzalah members are prepared to respond effectively should such an event occur in the communities they serve.
The event was made possible through an extensive partnership between Jersey Shore Hatzalah and the Linda Grunin Simulation Lab at Monmouth University. Jersey Shore Hatzalah extends its tremendous appreciation to the Simulation Lab and its staff, particularly Dr. Violet Kramer, Billie McNally, and Elissa Naglieri, whose countless hours of planning and preparation were instrumental in creating such a realistic training experience.
Special appreciation is also extended to RWJBarnabas Health LifeFlight, the Monmouth County Office of Emergency Medical Services, Dr. James Martin and Dr. Elizabeth Gilman of the Monmouth Medical Center Emergency Department, and Dr. Harry Kopolovich, Chair of Emergency Medicine at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Their involvement and expertise helped recreate the coordination between EMS, flight crews, and hospital staff that would be essential during an actual mass casualty incident.
The MCI exercise represents Jersey Shore Hatzalah’s continued commitment to advancing the education and preparedness of its members while strengthening its relationships with the healthcare and public safety agencies with whom it works.
By training together before an emergency occurs, responders build the skills, communication, and relationships needed to work together when every minute matters.
Jersey Shore Hatzalah thanks all of the organizations, instructors, volunteers, patient actors, dispatchers, and participants who helped make this landmark training possible.
