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PA Students Take Part In Logan Airport Disaster Drill

On October 27, 36 students from the Boston Physician Assistant Studies program took part in the largest mass casualty drill to date at Logan International Airport. The drill, called “Operation Ready 2007,” was staged by The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) and involved 60 federal agencies and organizations, 500 volunteers and 1,000 emergency response personnel, 70 ambulances and 13 hospitals. This was Massport’s first drill since 2005, when it staged a hijacking of a jet in an exercise called “Operation Atlas.” The exercise started at 8:30 a.m, and simulated a runway collision of two passenger aircraft and tested airport and community emergency response, airport communications and procedures, transportation capabilities for the casualties, traffic plans for emergency vehicles, public and private emergency operations centers, and Boston hospitals.

The PA students were simulated victims of the crash with a variety of injuries ranging from life threatening to minor scrapes and bruises. Each was given a role to play and a script to follow. They were triaged by emergency personnel on site at Logan and then transported to one of the hospitals participating in the drill for appropriate treatment. The students then returned to Logan for debriefing by emergency response coordinators. The students described the experience as an invaluable lesson in the role they may someday play in an emergency of this magnitude.

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