On Thursday afternoon, Ogeechee Technical College transformed its campus into a high-intensity emergency zone as students participated in a simulated disaster drill designed to mirror the chaos and coordination of a real-world mass casualty event.
The full-scale exercise, held outside the Joseph E. Kennedy Building, featured a mock bus crash involving 26 volunteer “victims” with injuries ranging from scrapes to severe trauma.
The two-hour simulation was a major collaborative effort, organized in partnership with East Georgia Regional Medical Center, Evans Memorial Hospital, Bulloch County EMS, and Air Evac 95. Students from OTC’s Nursing, Paramedicine, Radiologic Technology, Echocardiography, Sonography, and Criminal Justice programs worked together to assess, triage, and treat patients in real time.
Stephanie Lindamood, an instructor in the Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program, played a key role in organizing the event and said it grew far beyond its original scope.
“It started off small. We were just initially planning for EMS and nursing,” Lindamood said. “I pitched the idea, everybody loved it, and we started getting a lot more involvement. Now we’ve got radiology, ultrasound, cardiography, criminal justice, and more. It turned out way bigger than I planned, but I’m really excited at how it came together.”
Lindamood emphasized that the purpose of the drill was to expose students to the pressures and unpredictability of a real-life emergency, but in a safe, guided environment where learning took priority. “We want them to be prepared for situations like this if they ever happen in real life, whether they’re in the ER or elsewhere,” she explained.
The simulation included multiple layers of care, with triage stations at the scene and two emergency rooms inside the building: a main ER for severe trauma and a fast-track unit for less critical patients.
Junior students, many of whom served as the "victims," were prepped by OTC’s Esthetician program, which spent hours applying realistic makeup to simulate injuries. This added layer of authenticity helped create an environment where the senior students, those about to graduate, could fully immerse themselves in the experience. Instructors from each department were stationed throughout the scene to guide students, ask questions, and turn every moment into a teaching opportunity.
Noah Montgomery, a senior ASN student set to graduate in May, was assigned the crucial role of triage nurse. “In a way, we’re playing God,” he said. “You’re the first person to see the patient after EMS, and it’s your job to decide who gets immediate help and who can wait.” Montgomery described how he evaluated injuries like severe bleeding or breathing difficulties to determine whether a patient should be sent to the main ER or to the fast-track area.
Although this was the first disaster drill for OTC’s ASN program, Montgomery said it left a strong impression.
“This kind of experience makes me feel more prepared,” he said. “OTC has done a great job from day one preparing us for this.” The day was especially meaningful for him, as his own siblings participated in the simulation as mock patients. “That definitely made it feel more real,” he said. He also gave a shoutout to the esthetician students. “They crushed it,” he said with a smile. “And seeing my classmates handle real-time pressure like this—it made me proud. We’ve worked so hard for this.”
The demonstration placed students in a high-pressure, real-world scenario where quick thinking and collaboration were essential. Volunteer actors portrayed a range of injuries and emotional responses, creating a highly realistic environment for responders.
For EMS students in particular, the exercise reinforced the importance of prioritizing care, treating the most seriously injured patients first before moving on to those with minor wounds. Each patient had a unique set of symptoms and a scripted personality, forcing students to adapt their approach and think critically under pressure.
To help document the event and provide future training material, students from OTC’s Georgia Film Academy Film program were also on hand to film the drill in action. Their footage will be used for review sessions and educational purposes across OTC’s healthcare programs.
As the last patient was “discharged” from the simulated emergency room, students and instructors alike were already reflecting on the lessons learned. Each participating department will hold debriefing sessions to analyze what went well and where improvements can be made.
For Lindamood, the most rewarding part was watching it all come full circle.
“Our victims today were mostly junior students, and the ones treating them were seniors set to graduate next month,” she said. “To see them take on leadership roles and collaborate across programs—it’s why we do what we do.”