Carroll College nursing students participated in a mock mass casualty simulation Tuesday, practicing emergency response to a scenario involving a terrorist attack at the Montana State Capitol during a legislative session. The drill was designed to test students' ability to evaluate and triage patients under realistic conditions.

More than 100 volunteers acted as patients, with Carroll's theater students providing injury makeup to add realism. Simulations ran multiple times throughout the day, giving nursing students repeated hands-on practice at initial response, patient evaluation, and prioritization by injury severity. Mock ambulances and a hospital were set up on site, where students also ran through emergency room response scenarios.

Students worked alongside local emergency response agency representatives, learning how coordination works during large-scale incidents. Nursing student Sophia Bourekis said the experience was valuable preparation. "Having this experience under our belt and hopefully, if god forbid something like this happens, we'll be more prepared and be able to help people better," she said. On-site instructors provided real-time feedback throughout the day.