On October 7, a simulated airplane crash took place at Gainesville Regional Airport as part of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandated drill. The scenario was based on the real-life Delta Airlines flight 4819 incident from February 17, 2025, and aimed to test the coordinated response of local emergency services to a mass casualty event.
Santa Fe College students and faculty played significant roles in the exercise, acting as both crash victims and responders. Rickelle Caraway, a student in the Santa Fe EMS program, described her assigned role: “There were around 50-60 victims like me on scene,” she said. “Each of us were given a tag with basic information — if we were able to walk, if we had a pulse — and we were outfitted with makeup for wounds that matched the description.”
The drill included realistic elements such as a frame simulating the aircraft’s outer shell and color-coded cards indicating injury severity. Michael Anderson, Associate Director of EMS Programs at Santa Fe College, co-coordinated the event. Amy Dautel, EMS assistant professor and lab manager with the SF Institute of Public Safety, helped manage volunteers alongside Associate Professor Jon Duff.
“We organized the moulage setup, distributed scenario assignments, ensured safety on site, and oversaw student involvement throughout the exercise,” Dautel said. “The sounds, sights, and structure of the event closely mirrored a true mass casualty response, giving both our students and local responders an authentic training experience. This drill is an outstanding preparation tool for our students. It exposes them to the scale, pace, and organization required in a real incident and allows them to observe firsthand how local EMS agencies coordinate during major incidents. It builds their confidence, situational awareness, and teamwork skills qualities they’ll rely on in their future EMS careers and during clinical rotations with agencies like ACFR and GFR.”
Alonso Scarpino, another paramedic student volunteer from Santa Fe College who participated as a casualty in the drill, noted: “the exercise replicated the organized chaos of an actual mass casualty incident as closely as you could imagine — lots of moving parts.” He added: “The drill helps us get used to the idea that this very horrific event may happen. That way we can be prepared to save as many lives as possible.”
No fatalities were reported among any of the simulated passengers or crew during this training exercise.
