Aspirus Stanley Hospital conducted its annual Mass Casualty Drill on September 10, bringing together hospital and clinic staff, first responders, and community partners to simulate a large-scale emergency. The event aimed to test and improve the hospital’s ability to respond to crises by staging a mock bus rollover accident with 12 to 15 volunteer patients.
Emergency Medical Services from Stanley, Thorp, Boyd, Owen, and Cadott participated in the drill. Responders triaged and stabilized simulated patients at the scene before transporting them to Aspirus Stanley’s Emergency Department. Once at the hospital, staff were required to assess, treat, and coordinate care for multiple patients under conditions that mimic real-life emergencies.
“Mass casualty situations often don’t give you time to think , so you have to be ready,” said Spencer Hager, RN, an Emergency Department nurse who led the drill’s organization. “These trainings allow our staff and our community partners to walk through the chaos in a safe, controlled setting so that if the real thing ever happens, we’re better prepared to serve our neighbors.”
The event was supported by several local organizations. The Stanley-Boyd Area School District provided a school bus and parking lot for staging purposes. Community volunteers acted as injured passengers during the simulation.
“Our community is at the heart of everything we do,” said Nicole Dekan, RN, Emergency Department Supervisor at Aspirus Stanley Hospital. “It’s incredible to see so many partners EMS teams, the school district, even volunteer patients come together with one goal: to make sure we are ready to respond if disaster ever strikes.”
This year marked the first inclusion of air medical transport in the drill. Aspirus Medevac participated by practicing “hot loads”—the process of loading or unloading patients while helicopter rotors are turning—reflecting procedures used when speed is critical in rural emergency response.
“Helicopter involvement adds a whole new layer of training,” Hager said. “It forces us to think about transport logistics, communication, and safety around aircraft all things that would come into play during a real mass casualty event.”
Inside Aspirus Stanley Hospital, staff activated their Mass Casualty Incident Command System as part of the exercise. Teams took on roles such as triage coordination and family support across departments including emergency care and surgery.
“Aspirus Stanley is a small hospital with a big responsibility,” stated Anne Sadowska, VP-Chief Administrative Officer for WI Northwest Division at Aspirus Health. “Our patients and our communities count on us to be ready, no matter the situation. These drills push our teams to the limit, but they also highlight the dedication, skill, and heart that our staff bring to every challenge.”
After completing the exercise portion of the evening’s activities, participants met for debriefing sessions focused on lessons learned and areas for improvement.
“Every year we learn something new, and every year we get stronger as a team,” Dekan added. “That’s the whole point—we want to be ready for the unexpected, and we want our community to know we’re prepared to take care of them.”
Hager emphasized that beyond training technical skills or protocols: “This is about more than a drill,” he said. “It’s about making sure that if something terrible ever happens here, the people of Stanley and the surrounding communities can count on us to be ready.”
