GULF SHORES — Students in health care and emergency-related majors at Coastal Alabama Community College (CACC) participated in a mimicked plane crash to practice disaster response.

Nursing and dental assistant students dressed up and role played as victims of a plane crash, which crash landed behind the Gulf Shores college campus in the simulation.

EMT students assessed each student and practiced their decision-making skills when it came to what level of trauma center a patient would need to go to.

Other organizations involved include CACC MLT, MAT and DAT departments, the Coastal Alabama Police Department, Gulf Shores Fire Department, Baldwin County EMA and Medstar Emergency Medical Services.

Students playing victims of the plane crash wore tags that had triage information that could not be mimicked such as heart rate. Students could mimic some symptoms such as being unresponsive. Fake injuries were added to various students by the school's cosmetology department.

Simulation Program Coordinator for CACC, Carman Godfrey, said the disaster drill is beneficial "for all parties involved" as local first responders also come out to practice their responses to fire, transportation and disaster medical emergencies.

Local hospitals also participated in the simulation as some students were transported to Baldwin Health Freestanding Emergency Department in Gulf Shores and Baldwin Health Hospital and Emergency Department in Foley. A third hospital — "in our pretend world" — was set up on-site to serve as the level one trauma center in the simulation.

Godfrey said disaster drill allowed students to physically run through a response to a plane crash, without having to wait for a plane to crash.

"These are kind of what we call HALO events, high acuity but low occurrence," she said. "We try to still practice those so when they do happen in the real world, they're a little bit more ready. Because if you waited for these real-world opportunities, someone might practice long into their career before they ever see one."

The plane crash disaster drill is one of several types held by CACC throughout the year. Healthcare and first responder organizations involved in disaster responses have also practiced what to do during/after a tornado and an active shooter situation.

"It's important to stay up to date on the latest practices and to practice these different forms of techniques, should something happen then they would be prepared," Godfrey said.