Brigham and Women’s also received 60 “worried but well” patients, who were not on the aircraft but feared exposure to the radiation.

In addition to treating the victims of the explosion, the hospitals also had to send all the evidence they discovered on to law enforcement agencies, Hamilton said.

“It’s a crime investigation as well,” she said. “It was also a test to see whether we could get patient information back to the airlines, find out where passengers went and confirm the status of victims.”

Because the airlines would be fielding phone calls from worried family members, it is vital that this patient information be relayed back to them.

Drills like these are done regularly in Boston, but this is the first time radioactive scenarios have been involved.

“All of this is relatively new to the hospital, and we felt like we did well,” Hickey said.

Morash agreed that the drill was a success but said improvements will need to be made in order to improve the efficiency of the response to radiation emergencies.

Two issues that will be addressed are protection of hospital employees from radiation and the handling, storage and transport of radioactive material or clothing.

“We need to do more with radioactive activities. You can’t see it, feel it or touch it, but we have to be wary of it,” Morash said.

A debriefing of all parties involved will be held in two weeks in order to critique the drill.

Medical students and hospital staff were not the only Harvard affiliates to help out with the simulation.

Stephen O’Connor, a Harvard University Police Department officer stationed at the Longwood Medical Campus, volunteered at MASCO’s Joint Operating Center, which is a central command unit that runs during emergencies.

“It was good to see that the organization went well, and how different services in the Longwood area came together for a common cause,” he said.