Police, St John staff, Civil Defence and scores of St Kevin's College pupils and staff will be part of a large-scale exercise at the Oamaru school this afternoon.
The exercise is described by Senior Sergeant Jason McCoy, of Oamaru, as a ''mass emergency services exercise that involves multiple casualties'', and the school will be closed for the afternoon and cordoned off before it begins, about 1.30pm.
More than 60 emergency services personnel would be involved in the exercise and the pupils would act as casualties
''We've done joint exercises before, but never with the school, I don't think.''
Snr Sgt McCoy said the exercise would be valuable for both the school and emergency services, as it would give them an idea of their respective abilities to handle a large-scale emergency.
''Obviously, it's an education thing for both the school and the police around responding to a mass incident where there is a number of casualties. That's what it's all about.''
