Hospital, fire departments take part in large-scale drill

First responders teamed up with one of Long Island's largest hospitals for a drill Sunday to practice responding to a large-scale emergency.

Responders and employees at NUMC took part in the simulated disaster. NUMC President and CEO Dr. Victor Politi says a mock-emergency staged at Jones Beach simulated a scenario involving an out-of-control truck injuring about 50 people during a charity walk.

All of the ambulances and fire departments on the South Shore were notified, and 20 people with critical injuries -- actually actors wearing makeup -- were taken to NUMC. The others who were "injured" in the disaster were sent to different hospitals. Fifteen fire departments took part in the drill.

Dr. Politi says such drills are incredibly important, especially in light of recent horrific events. He says hospitals need to be prepared for mass-casualty incidents.

Next, NUMC and the participating fire departments will meet to assess how the drill went and to determine what needs to be improved in the event of a true emergency.