On Feb. 14, there was an explosion at the XL Center in Hartford, injuring 25 people. The victims were transported to the Hartford Hospital emergency department. Amid the chaos, a family member of a patient who had just died from a fatal heart attack in the ED becomes extremely distraught, claiming the doctors let the patient die because they were busy treating the victims of the explosion. The distraught family member pulls out a gun and starts shooting.
Fortunately, this scene was just a drill for 25 emergency department residents learning to handle mass casualty situations. Makeup artists, actors, the Hartford Police Department and the Center for Education, Simulation and Innovation (CESI) made this scary situation as real as possible so staff would be well-equipped in the event something awful really happened.
“I think it goes without saying there’s a need for these types of drills,” said Steve Donahue, program director at CESI.
CESI helps facilitate monthly casualty drills with local, state and federal police and emergency personnel, as well as regular training opportunities for staff at Hartford Hospital.
Nicole Vetter, a third-year resident in the emergency department said the drill was useful. “When it first started, I was like a deer in headlights. I learned a lot. It helped educate us on what to do when there are insufficient resources and how to triage under those conditions.”
For more information about CESI, visit https://hartford hospital.org/health-professionals/education/cesi.