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HOUGHTON -- Dazed and confused students pushed their way out of the student development complex of Michigan Tech.  They, along with emergency responders, participated in a bomb disaster drill Thursday afternoon.

This drill was a simulation designed to help better prepare first responders for the worst case scenario.

"We hope that this never happens, but unfortunately, these kinds of things have happened on other campuses around the country, so in order to be prepared, it's important that we do dress rehearsals and we do exercises like this," said EMS Director Jon Stone.

Students were painted with fake blood and given realistic looking injuries to make the drill more effective.  Other students got involved by playing family members of the victims.

"I'm just supposed to be hysterical and try to push the cops to the limit, telling them what you would do and what they have to tell me to do, and obviously I'm going to be really paranoid because it's my child," said student Torri Bode.

This room is broken up into three parts based on the injuries of the victims.  Firefighters helped move the patients from the bomb site to a triage area to allow for further medical treatment.  Once the patients were stabilized, they are then taken by Mercy ambulances to the local hospitals.

"We're always drilling.  This is a large drill so it is a little unusual, but the idea is that even though you don't see us drilling, it's something that happens often in the background," Stone said.

This mock disaster drill was created as a learning experience, and it gives students and first responders the ability to apply what they've learned and use it in everyday situations.