Zombie Apocalypse Hits Lander University: Health Officials Respond to Emergency Drill

Imagine being trapped in a school with a horde of ravenous zombies. There's no help from officials; there's nowhere to turn. Instead, there's only one option: escape. Faculty, students and staff from Lander University did just that this morning. They conducted a drill that simulated a zombie invasion in order to test their emergency preparedness.

The participants raced through the university at 10:30 a.m. this morning as the zombies descended. During the drill, the university's emergency team was on hand to assist anyone who had come in contact with the undead.

In all, Lander's nursing students, local police, the Campus Emergency Response Team (CERT), Wellness Center staff, the school's Medical Reserve Corps and even the Western Piedmont Medical Reserve Corps participated during the drill. They quickly attempted to rescue any victims and tried to determine the nature and severity of their exposure to the zombies.

Everyone who watches zombie movies knows that people need a sufficient "base" to protect themselves against the undead. The school's Multipurpose Room served as the simulated triage center for the two-hour drill.

The nature of the drill, though, shouldn't be a shock. The zombie apocalypse is on the rise--at least in popular media. With shows such as "The Walking Dead" and events such as "Run for your Lives" sweeping across the U.S., it's not surprising that the same mania has infected health officials. In fact, hackers recently hijacked a news station and broadcast an emergency warning about the zombie apocalypse.

The idea for the Lander University drill first originated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency hoped to raise awareness about disaster preparedness and what to do during a disease outbreak. Because of this, it created a platform called the Zombie Apocalypse program. This particular innovation is meant to reach a broad range of participants and encourage first responders to be prepared for any emergency--including the zombie apocalypse.

This particular idea isn't anything new, though. The CDC has been releasing reports about the zombie apocalypse for several years now. CDC director, Ali Khan, notes on their website, "If you are general well equipped to deal with the zombie apocalypse, you will be prepared for a hurricane, pandemic, earthquake or terrorist attack." The organization even has a comic book-like guide to introduce the idea of emergency preparedness.

So now the question is: Are you ready for the zombie apocalypse?