Long Island medical students have been preparing for mass shootings, terrorist bombings and deadly LIRR derailments as part of one of the most intensive emergency-response programs in the country.

Students from Northwell’s Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra last week capped an eight-week EMT program by diving into staged mass-casualty disasters — complete with simulated explosions, gunfire and smoke-filled panic staged with actors and meant to mirror the grim realities America’s first responders now face.

For the students who participated, the chaos of the day was staged — but the lessons they learned were very real. 4

“I thought I could handle a bunch of people getting off a derailed train for treatment,” said John Brady, a first-year medical student who p

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