Staff at Pella Regional Health Center and emergency responders in Pella took part in an event simulating a traumatic incident.

Director of the Emergency Department Gina Jones tells KNIA/KRLS News Pella Regional partnered with Pella Ambulance, Pella Police, and Marion County Emergency Management to providing training to emergency department staff in response to mass casualty events.

Jones says they conduct the exercise on a frequent basis to ensure the hospital, as well as local and county agencies, are prepared for a worst-case scenario.

“It’s important to always be ready because we never know what’s going to happen, and so it’s really important that we come together at least once or twice a year to practice this drill with an influx of patients, so we know when we’ve reached our resources in the E.R. what the process is for our overflow unit.”

Pella Ambulance and Police helped transport “patients” from near downtown Pella to Pella Regional, with numerous departments in the hospital working to prioritize their response.