Eighteen Emergency Medical Services teams from the metro and across the country put their lifesaving skills to the test Saturday in the second annual EMS competition at Creighton University.

It's a large-scale patient simulation where rescue crews are judged on their assessments, treatment decisions, speed and effectiveness. The event was moved to the ballroom of the Mike and Jose Harper Center for Student Life and Learning to accommodate more teams, more elaborate props and a larger audience.

Teams had 15 minutes to respond and treat 10 people. "This is a very valuable exercise, this is not something we (normally) get to experience a lot in the field,” said Creighton student and paramedic Brendan McGurk.

“Practice is essential to performing well when we actually get presented with these situations."

McGurk said the actors were very good, which helped with the real feel of the exercises. Omaha, Papillion, Bellevue and La Vista all had teams taking part in the competition.