Brock University Nursing students will get first-hand experience responding to emergency situations during a disaster training exercise planned for Friday, May 15.

Hosted during National Nursing Week by the Department of Nursing’s concurrent Bachelor of Nursing/Master of Nursing program (BNMN), the “code orange” simulation will see 30 BNMN students rapidly triage high-fidelity mannequin patients and live actors portraying victims in a fictitious emergency scenario.

The immersive training exercise, which begins at 1:30 p.m. behind East Academic Buildings 2 and 3, will include sirens, smoke machines and a simulated explosion.

“We’re also bringing emergency medical services and firefighters on site for the first time and will record the scenarios to develop a virtual reality game,” said Vanessa Silva e Silva, Associate Professor and course instructor.

As well as serving as guest speakers, the paramedics and firefighters will be on standby so students can practice transferring a cardiac arrest patient to an ambulance.

“We’re enhancing the interprofessional collaboration piece,” said Magdalena Dobosiewicz, Graduate Program Clinical Supervisor.

This year’s expanded training area will feature designated treatment zones, barricaded access points and emergency vehicles positioned nearby to mirror real response conditions.