On Wednesday, March 27th the annual “disaster drill” was held at Piedmont College in Demorest Georgia. The event started at 10 a.m. at the Swanson Center. The disaster drill had many parties involved including mass communication students, nursing students, theatre majors and first responders. Each group had specific assignments for their respective classes. this year’s disaster for the drill was a bomb that went off which caused a building fire.

During this drill, the theatre majors were acting as the injured people in the building and the nursing students were helping them get out and give them medical attention. While this was going on, mass communications students were taking video of the disaster and interviewing people that were involved in the disaster. Mass communication’s student, Connor Jelley said, “Overall the drill went well but they could have done a better job when it comes to making it feel like a disaster and not a scheduled event.”

Jelley was one of the students taking videos of the disaster. His video production class was split into groups and each group had a specific job, whether it was interviewing people, capturing the disaster or filming the set-up of the drill. Jelley’s job was to film inside the building of the injured people. “I really enjoyed this project because it gave me a chance to film a real-life situation.”

Most people involved take this drill very seriously and they should. “The drill is important for mass communication, theatre and nursing departments because it gives students a chance to experience what it would be like working in a real-life chaotic situation,” said mass communication’s student, Nate Roys.

This drill gives the opportunity to have a practice real-life situation before you must do it for the first time. It prepares these students for what they will encounter.

The disaster drill at Piedmont College has been going on for a few years. Each year the disaster is different, which helps prepare students for anything. “I wouldn’t say one was better than the other because they each focused on different emergencies. However, the weather was better this year than last year, so it allowed for the helicopter to land which really added to the day in a positive way,” said second year attendee, Davis Barlow.

Planning for next year’s drill is already underway.