Medical students from Hofstra University's Zucker School of Medicine spent Friday training on how to respond to five mass casualty scenarios.

The training took place at the Nassau County Fire Service Academy and included car accidents, a bus bombing, a derailed train, an active shooter situation and a hazmat incident.

Not all of the students are training to be EMTs, but the school's dean says it is important for them to better understand the traumatic environment patients have gone through and better develop partnerships with first responders.

"I think it builds empathy - I think it builds a better understanding of the health care environment and again I believe that because we're such active learners, they end up embracing all of the other learning, all the other science and that ends up being better doctors," says David Battinelli, M.D. and dean of the Northwell Zucker School of Medicine.

This is the first time students from the medical school trained at the Nassau County Fire Service Academy. Previously, they have used the FDNY's training center.