Woodbridge first responders stage school bus crash drill

Well, Woodbridge first responders went the extra step this weekend to make sure they are prepared in case of a major accident. News 12's Jack Ford shows us how a drill is giving them hands-on experience. We do want to warn you, though, some of the video may appear to be graphic. Several cars trapped under a school bus, an electrical pole down on that very same bus. The good news is none of this is actually real. It's all part of a massive drill being done this weekend by Woodbridge first responders to make sure that if, God forbid, something like this does ever happen, they're prepared. This is a monumental effort to have our police department, our eight fire departments, our five first aid squads, our emergency management people, and our mutual aid partners in Rahway and Perth Amboy and the county of Middlesex all here. Sunday in this parking lot, all these agencies are responding as if this situation were real. The two major collisions both involving a school bus on busy roads in the township, A situation that in real life is not only incredibly complex, but could be life or death. We did rotations where there was 10 rotations from different evolutions where they did vehicle stabilization, vehicle lifting, cutting a bus apart, cutting a vehicle apart. And it prepared our responders for the final evolutions that today that they can take all that and put it together. This sprawling operation that took over a year of planning is giving these responders a chance to have actual hands-on experience together. This is something that hasn't been done in years, not only in Woodbridge Township, Middlesex County, probably even the state of New Jersey. So bringing these guys together and having them work together. And while they pulled dummies out of the vehicles for the EMS response, the victims were as real as possible, too. Played by drama club students from local high schools who had varying levels of injuries. This is all makeup. Acting was tremendous. So what that does is that incites activity in our first responders, right? And by these kids doing that, it just made it totally realistic. And it heightens the senses of our personnel. Woodbridge going the extra mile to prepare for the worst. Jack Ford, News 12 New Jersey.