MADISON, Wis. -- Even before last year's shooting spree at Virginia Tech, emergency personnel from Wisconsin and Illinois were planning a drill with a similar scenario.

VIDEO: Watch The Report

On Wednesday morning, Rock County Emergency Management mounted a full-scale simulation on the Beloit College campus, bringing in more than 240 police officers, firefighters and paramedics.

The morning started with a bang. Across from campus, officials detonated an explosive device, which was to simulate a bomb in a campus building. The result was a mock building collapse, complete with victims thrown about the scene and others trapped beneath the rubble, WISC-TV reported.

Beloit College students played the role of the victims, as well as members of the media. Students playing victims were transported to a local hospital, where hospital staff also participated in the drill.

Rock County Emergency Management Coordinator Shirley Conners said that the goal of the drill was to test the system while training officers in the field.

"We try to do things to give them a surprise, test their skills, and we've done that today," Conners said.

As the morning went on, the scene turned from a disaster area into something far more dangerous. While tending to victims, paramedics learned some had been shot and that the shooter was still on campus., WISC-TV reported.

Local, county, state, and federal law enforcement officers responded to the scene, many in full tactical gear.

"These things really are important when you deal with the real incident," said Wisconsin Emergency Management Administrator Johnnie Smith. "Having met the people that you'll be responding with, having exercised the plan similar to the real incident, makes a huge difference in the possibility of saving lives."

After several hours of negotiating, SWAT teams moved in, using plastic explosives to blow through doorways where the shooter barricaded himself.

The scenario ended with the suspect in custody, but dozens of others, both students and officers, were mock injured or killed. Officials observed and recorded every aspect of the event and will analyze the overall performance, WISC-TV reported.

"Once we sit back and evaluate what happened here today, evaluate the things that went well, the things that didn't, then we'll know where we need to proceed for future training," said Capt. Bill Tyler, of the Beloit Police Department.

The simulation was made possible with help from a federal Homeland Security grant, WISC-TV reported.

Officials said they hope that by having experienced the mock crisis, emergency personnel will be better able to respond to a situation in the event it should happen.