DENVER (CBS4) – More than 200 patients were taken to nearly a dozen hospitals in the Denver metro area on Wednesday, all in an effort for emergency responders to be prepared for a disaster.

Ambulances, medical helicopters, and Black Hawks with the National Guard were all taking part in a disaster drill at Denver International Airport called a full-scale Federal Coordinating Center, or FCC.

The Federal Coordinating Center exercise simulated a tornado disaster. In a real disaster, DIA would become an evacuation site that could take in victims from around the world.

The exercise was a major test of the National Disaster Medical System, or NDMS, under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security.

Emergency service agencies from all over the Front Range partnered with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Eastern Colorado Health Care System for the exercise.

Practicing helps to ensure that if there was a real disaster, several different agencies could work together and communicate as seamlessly as possible.

LINK: NDMS Federal Coordinating Center

- Written Andrea Lopez, CBSDenver.com