Police and fire departments from across the region will take part in a large-scale training exercise this weekend at Bellevue High School. The exercise is designed to test emergency responses and communications in the event of an incident involving multiple casualties.

The exercise takes place all day Saturday, March 10, and Sunday, March 11. The high school is located at 10416 Wolverine Way, south of downtown and just off Bellevue Way. Nearby residents and people traveling in the area may notice numerous police and fire vehicles, increased traffic and hear loud noises.

A short video about the exercise is available online.

Dozens of student volunteers will take part in the exercise, helping to make it more realistic for the emergency responders. The safety of students and emergency workers will be the top priority.

Among the agencies taking part in the exercise will be Bellevue’s Fire and Police departments, Seattle’s Fire and Police departments, along with law enforcement officers and firefighters from King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties.

The exercise, funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Urban Areas Security Initiative, will test the ability of city and county bomb squads and SWAT teams to work together.

The Bellevue School District and Cornerstone Construction, the principle contractor for the new Bellevue High School project, have been involved in planning the exercise for several weeks.