Hopefully they will never have to use it. But Cornell emergency medical personnel are now equipped to quickly provide medical care for up to 100 people in the event of a disaster, thanks to a new mass casualty unit unveiled Oct. 18.

The 16-foot, Cornell-red trailer now sits in the parking lot of Cornell's Environmental Health and Safety Building on Palm Road. Loaded with medical, command, logistical and triage equipment, the unit is the most comprehensive of its kind in Tompkins County. Highlights of its stock: 20,000 4-by-4-inch bandages, 50 stabilizing backboards, 100 hot and cold packs, a gas-powered generator and two 500-watt tripod floodlights.

The unit is designed for any large disaster -- a bus or plane crash, shooting or an emergency that occurs at a large gathering, such as a football game, Commencement or other event. A "mass casualty" might be considered an incident involving as few as four to five people, said Alec Johnson '08, director of Cornell University Emergency Medical Service (CUEMS), though there's no specific definition.

"It's anything that would overwhelm the current system," Johnson explained.

"The potential is always there for an incident in which many people would need treatment," added Dan Maas, emergency management coordinator of Environmental Health and Safety.

The mass casualty unit was brought to campus largely due to efforts of CUEMS, a student-run, student- and university-funded volunteer organization with close to 80 members. The service responds to hundreds of campus emergency calls annually. Members all complete training on federal incident command systems and national incident management systems, which are designed to integrate emergency response agencies.

Planning for the unit began in fall 2006, Johnson said. CUEMS quickly gained the support of Environmental Health and Safety, as well as the Department of Risk Management and Insurance. The tragedy at Virginia Tech in April, in which 32 people died at the hands of one shooter, occurred after planning for the unit had begun, but the incident served as a reminder for why such a unit should be brought to Cornell, Johnson said.

"It was not the only reason, but it brought to light an issue of concern, and the university has responded very positively," he said.

CUEMS volunteers will participate in joint training for the mass casualty unit with Gannett Health Services, Cornell Police, Environmental Health and Safety and other community agencies to help streamline response in the event of a large-scale disaster.