BLOOMINGTON - Plumes of smoke rose Saturday morning from the southwest corner of Central Illinois Regional Airport on Bloomington's east side. | Photo gallery

And more than 200 emergency responders rushed to the scene, near an airstrip.

But the crews and "victims," some of whom screamed for help, weren't in a dangerous situation: They all were participants in a simulated disaster.

The staged 9 a.m. crash of a 737 passenger jet was part of annual training exercises of the McLean County Disaster Council. The group represents dozens of area law enforcement, health and safety agencies, hospitals, airport staff and more.

"We see it as an opportunity to see how we can all work together," said Bernie Anderson, a Nicor Gas spokesman and one of the media liaisons for the event.

"Rather than everyone doing their own drill, we all come together at one spot," Bloomington Fire Chief Keith Ranney said. "We put our heads together and see how we can improve our emergency plans."

The three-hour drill was followed by an afternoon debriefing, said Ranney, who has taken part in these drills for about 15 years.

In past years, the council has organized responses for scenarios simulating a gunman in a high school, a toxic leak from a railroad tanker car and a domestic violence encounter that spilled into a workplace.

On Saturday morning, the airport continued business as usual with flights arriving and departing on normal schedules. Airlines and passengers all repeatedly were reminded of the simulation, said Fran Streibing, airport spokeswoman.

The Federal Aviation Administration requires each airport to hold such an emergency drill once every three years, she said.

Ranney stood a few hundred feet from the billowing smoke. Firefighters put together a controlled brush fire to serve as a burning fuselage component. Some responders dressed in special reflective metallic suits designed to resist intense heat.

"That would allow them to get closer to the jet fire," Ranney said.

The chief also described a special fire engine used to fight fires at aircraft crashes. The FAA-purchased vehicle has the ability to spray water and foam on a fire from a distance and while the truck is in motion.

Across the airstrip, the role-playing injured people lay in a green field, the area strewn with clothes, suitcases and other belongings.

Gail Harper of Bloomington, like other participants, arrived shortly after 7 a.m.

A volunteer with the Retired Service Volunteer Program, Harper was assigned an arm injury. She and about 70 other volunteers who played airline passengers were spread across the accident scene.

Other volunteer victims were students from area universities, including Zach Woods and Mike Serio, safety majors from Illinois State University, Normal.

Kim Tarkowski of Normal, who is legally blind, sat with her guide dog.

"I'm here with the Center for Independent Living," she said. The social services agency, which works with people with disabilities, took part in the drill to help responders prepare for people with special needs.

"At first we talked about me being part of the (role-playing) families over at the airport. But, you know, I could be on the plane - and my dog would be with me there," she said.

"Everyone was assessed within about 20 minutes," Anderson said.

Nearby, a few airline employees observed the emergency drill.

United Airlines employees Manuel Torres and Brett Young stood by Delta Airlines' James Peterson.

"It is interesting to watch how it all comes together," said Young, pointing out some triage stations and different colored flags that indicate severity of injuries.

Also on scene, American Red Cross of the Heartland volunteers distributed water.

Part of Saturday's exercise found McLean County police working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. That agency's Springfield-based State Terrorist Intelligence Center had a role in the crash simulation, to determine if there were people of interest on the passenger list.

"In the story, it turned out some elected official was on the plane," Anderson said, noting that led the intelligence center to introduce the possibility of that person being a terrorist's target.

Later, however, suspicion turned away from terrorism and toward a mechanical failure as the cause.