LYNN – Staff at North Shore Medical Center’s (NSMC) Salem and Union hospitals took part in a mock emergency preparedness drill Wednesday to enhance coordination in the event of a disaster.Joseph Zukas, the city’s Emergency Medical Services Director, said the drill went off without a hitch.”This drill was a little bigger than the one we held in June,” he said. “We’ve been doing these drills for the past three or four years and every single time we have one, we keep getting better and keep fine tuning our skills.”Zukas said emergency responders from Lynn and Salem participated in the event to train them to respond to a mass casualty incident.”The event is really like a logistical nightmare that we have to be prepared to handle,” he said. “Say General Electric had a big chemical leak. We would have to quickly set up the mobile decontamination tent and bring it over there.”Pamela Fox, R.N. and director of Infection Control at NSMC, said the drills are incredibly helpful for staff members.”It allows NSMC staff to work closely with local police and fire departments to break down any problems that might occur in an actual disaster situation.”The scenario involved the collision of a dump truck carrying asbestos with a bus full of nursing students on Euclid Avenue. Portable decontamination units were set up at both hospitals, where patients were asked to shower to remove possible chemicals and were assessed for injuries.”The decontamination tent is set up like a human car wash,” Zukas said. “When patients walk through the tent, their clothes are removed and they are sprayed with nozzles containing decontaminant. It’s also designed to be a mobile tent, so it can go to an emergency situation.”Zukas said the tent was set up within 20-30 minutes and it takes approximately six to seven minutes to properly decontaminate a patient.”We all realize that we can’t predict when something is going to happen, but we can prepare for the worst and train for it,” he said. “We also held a brainstorming session after the event to find out what we can do better the next time.”Aside from the drill, Zukas said Peabody resident Roger Baker, who runs the non-profit Rehab-Five, provided breakfast for those involved.”Atlantic Ambulance and the hospitals did a great job, it was really a joint and team effort,” he said. “Next time we do this we’ll be even better.”