The police, St John, Alexandra Fire Brigade, Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter, Central Otago community road safety adviser Jo Robinson, and a Students Against Driving Drunk (Sadd) group, will join forces for the exercise and display on Sunday, August 5.
"This fatal crash scenario we're staging is very realistic. It could actually happen, and people's lives could be lost," Sergeant Dave Greaves, of Alexandra, said.
The scenario involves a child on a bike in Bantry St, Alexandra, being hit by a car driven by a drunk driver. The car, travelling at speed, ends up going under a trailer unit.
The 18-year-old front-seat passenger in the vehicle is killed in the crash, and another passenger receives critical injuries and is airlifted to hospital. The remaining back-seat passenger and the young cyclist are taken by ambulance from the scene, and the "driver", who is uninjured, is processed for drink-driving.
Fire brigade crews will cut the people from the vehicle and, weather permitting,, and assuming it has no emergency calls, the rescue helicopter will land to retrieve the "critically injured" person. Members of the Dunstan High School Sadd group will act the roles of the car occupants.
"The aim of the display is threefold; to show the public how the emergency services work together, to show what each of them does independently and to drive home the message regarding speeding, seat belts and drink-driving," Sgt Greaves said.
The exercise will take place from 1.30pm-3pm and usual procedures will be followed, except occasionally the action will be "frozen" for commentary from the respective agencies, explaining their work.
The idea came from Alexandra St John intensive care paramedic Barry Eunson. Mr Eunson said St John held regular training exercises and this would expand on those.
"As well as showing the expertise and resources available, we want to get the message across that there's ongoing rehabilitation for some patients, perhaps forever, after a crash. And crashes don't just have to happen on the open road."
In the planned scenario, the passenger's life was "18 years in the making, two minutes in the taking", Mr Eunson said.
Mrs Robinson said crash statistics showed speed and the non-wearing of seat belts was "an issue" in Central Otago.
Someone would play the role of the mother of the "deceased" teenager, who had to identify their child, a funeral director would be at the scene and staff from the police Serious Crash Unit and Victim Support volunteers would also attend.
"We expect it to be shocking ... but we want to make a big impact," Mr Eunson said.
The various agencies will have displays in Pioneer Park after the exercise.
