DALE COUNTY, Ala. (WDHN) — On Wednesday, emergency responders at Fort Novosel were involved in a tornado drill disaster.

Organizers say with the unpredictable weather in the south, they periodically hold these simulations to improve overall response time to those who are injured.

In the drill, a tornado touches down on a Fort Novosel classroom causing mass casualties. It also claims several lives.

For one army healthcare worker at Lyster Health Clinic on base, the patients are complete with simulated wounds and blood bringing a sense of reality to the exercise.

“It allows us to partner with local EMS and build that relationship and EMS on post as well and help them if we did have mass casualties on post or off post as well,” says Sergeant Courtney Forbeck.

For the bases’ garrison commander, no two tragedies are alike. But, this drill gives all responders an opportunity to work as a team in saving lives.

“All of these exercises are geared toward how to respond to these incidents to safeguard our community here at Fort Novosel and surrounding communities here in the Wiregrass,” says Garrison Commander Colonel John Miller.

“These training sessions are perfect, we put everything into it. We give 110 percent, we’re out here sweating going through the woods making sure we find every person, and role player. So if a real-life scenario comes up, we’re not running around with our heads cut off. That we can convert it to our training,” says Sergeant Bernard Thomas.

Garrison Commander Col. Miller says base personnel will study its response to the mock tornado, and see where they can make improvements in the future.