ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú

King’s College hosted a comprehensive mass casualty response simulation on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at the Frank and Carolyn Kowalski Center for Advanced Healthcare Education, providing students with hands-on training in emergency response.

The simulation brought together healthcare and criminal justice students to prepare them for real-world mass casualty incidents. Under the guidance of experienced professionals, participants practiced critical response procedures, including hospital intake, triage, and coordinated emergency operations.

Sister Elizabeth Kovacs, assistant clinical professor and nursing RN to BS program director, expressed how she had a goal of teaching students to professionally collaborate with each other.

“The earlier we can start practicing and perfecting that skill of communication, understanding everybody’s role in a certain scenario, being able to critically think your way through things, on a quick time frame, when a lot of unknowns occur, the better we are preparing them for the workforce in the future,” said Kovacs.

Students trained alongside professionals from Geisinger Wyoming Valley and the Wilkes-Barre City Police Department, gaining direct exposure to the collaboration required during large-scale emergencies. Volunteer actors participated in the exercise, allowing students to engage in realistic, scenario-based training that mirrors the challenges of an actual mass-casualty event.

Lieutenant Jamie Sheridan of the Wilkes-Barre City Police Department expressed that this was a tremendous opportunity to “share ideas, expertise, and safety measures so that we can permeate that throughout the community.”

The day-long exercise included preparation, makeup application, training sessions, and a full-scale practical response simulation, followed by a “hotwash” debrief where participants reviewed performance and identified key takeaways.

Faculty from multiple disciplines, including Sean Blinn, assistant professor of criminal justice and sociology, supported the training and emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary coordination in emergency response efforts.

“We could all collaborate and leverage everybody’s professional skills, figure out what everybody wants to do, and achieve those learning objectives to make it a rewarding experience that is so immersive,” said Blinn.

The event also welcomed community members and supporters, including the Kowalski Center’s donor, Carolyn Kowalski, a certified nurse, who wanted to experience the event and learn how the center can be utilized for similar events.

This simulation reflects King’s College’s continued commitment to providing high-impact, real-world learning experiences that prepare students to serve their communities with skill, compassion, and professionalism.

King’s College would like to acknowledge the Wilkes-Barre City Police, Geisinger Wyoming Valley, Wilkes-Barre CTC LPN students, Geisinger LifeFlight, LCCC, and the following departments on campus: occupational therapy, physician assistants, healthcare administration, emergency medical services, chaplains Fr. Chase Pepper and Fr. Frank Murphy, counseling services, registration and clerical staff, criminal justice, athletic training, and nursing departments.