PARAMUS, N.J. — Nearly 100 emergency responders from Paramus and surrounding towns took part Monday evening in a mass casualty drill simulating a bus crash, putting their coordination and emergency response skills to the test.

Ten members of Paramus Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) helped manage the exercise, held Oct. 12 and described in a post Tuesday.

Paramus CERT was responsible for setting up a staging area where incoming emergency units checked in, waited for assignments and were deployed to the scene at the direction of the Incident Commander. Members also tracked resources and maintained accountability throughout the operation.

After staging operations were completed, CERT members moved to the simulated incident scene to establish a rehabilitation area where responders could rest, hydrate and recover.

The drill brought together emergency personnel from Paramus and mutual aid agencies, with role-play actors helping simulate the bus accident. Many of the actors were local high school students, along with CERT members from neighboring communities.

Organizers said the exercise provided hands-on training and helped strengthen coordination among the agencies that would respond to a real large-scale emergency.

MERK also prepared dinner at the firehouse after the drill.

Paramus CERT is an all-volunteer organization that supports the borough and its emergency services.