Rescue Task Force - EM/Simulation collaboration with Roanoke County Police and EMS

Members of the Carilion Clinic Emergency Department, led by Emergency Medicine Resident Dr. Davin Combs, are working in close partnership with local law enforcement and emergency medical services (EMS) to enhance the region’s readiness to respond to mass casualty incidents. The collaboration focuses on the implementation of the nationally recognized Rescue Task Force (RTF) model—an interdepartmental, specially trained team that delivers immediate medical care during active threat situations.

On Saturday, June 21st this multidisciplinary initiative came to life in a high-fidelity simulation held at Carilion’s Center for Simulation, Research and Patient Safety. With the help of Carilion’s Simulation team, Roanoke County Police and EMS personnel conducted a full-scale active threat exercise involving simulated munitions and multiple simulated victims, beginning with the called into 911-dispatch and ending with the last victim being evacuated. The simulation provided first responders the opportunity to apply their RTF training in a realistic, controlled environment designed to mirror real-world conditions. This effort affords victims potentially life-saving care in the volatile minutes after injury.

In a pioneering move nationally, the team also gathered research data to assess the impact of live simulation on training effectiveness—a first in the U.S. for RTF preparedness efforts. Following the event, Carilion Emergency Medicine leadership and participating agencies conducted a structured debrief to review performance, identify lessons learned, and further refine the program.

The success of this exercise and the multi-agency collaboration with the single purpose of caring for our patients highlights Carilion’s continued dedication to improving the health and safety of the communities it serves.