The Case Western Reserve University EMS team simulated a mass casualty incident on Van Horn Field on Saturday, Oct. 23. The drill consisted of a car accident in which a car drove through the field and struck multiple bystanders. CWRU EMS chief Justin Einstein says that this year’s drill was the biggest yet. “The goal was to really see how we could work together with the municipalities in the area,” he said. The EMS team worked with Cleveland EMS, Cleveland Fire, and the Cleveland Heights Fire Department once they arrived on the scene.

CWRU EMS assistant chief Patrick Finnegan was in command of the initial response. He was charged with directing the staging and triage process including making preparation for the arrival of more resources. Once the professional responders arrived, several volunteer patients were actually transported to the University Hospitals emergency room. The drill was much more comprehensive than in the past, as Einstein said he took FEMA training classes to plan and execute such an exercise. He also mentioned that Case Western Police Department officers Cpl. Paul Owens and Sgt. Jay Hodge ( helped him plan the event.

Einstein said that while no simulation can be completely realistic, he thought the drill was successful overall. Afterwards, CWRU EMS debriefed with CHFD and Cleveland Fire, who said that they felt confident that an actual incident like this one would be effectively taken care of on campus. The drill also provided an opportunity for Greek life organizations to obtain community service credit. Each chapter received five hours of community service for each brother or sister they sent to volunteer to play patients and victims. Including the additional help of the nursing school, over 60 volunteers participated in the drill.