The Bainbridge Island fire and police departments, along with several participating off-island authorities, will be conducting a criminal mass casualty response exercise at Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church on Saturday.

Officials said the purpose of the exercise is to prepare emergency responders to work together to mitigate the effects of such an incident, such as a shooting in a mall or other crowded, public space.

The training will occur from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 7. Those in the Rolling Bay area can expect to see numerous response vehicles as well as actors, some in makeup meant to replicate possible injuries, and hear simulated gunfire throughout the drill as the police and fire department work through responding to a public shooting, explained Bainbridge Island Fire Department Assistant Chief Luke Carpenter.

The drill, he said, is part of a county-wide “mutual aid agreement,” wherein island authorities make themselves available for such mass casualty incidents and other agencies likewise agree to come to assistance should such a thing happen here.

“There’s no reason to be alarmed,” Carpenter said. “It’s not about any specific threat to the church or anything like that

“They volunteered this facility,” he added. “It gives us an area to work. It gives us a large parking lot to stage our vehicles. It was an opportunity.”

Members of the Bainbridge Island Community Emergency Response Team will act as victims and bystanders to enhance the realism of the training.

The area surrounding the church will be cordoned off during the exercise, Carpenter said. People nearby are asked to respect the security lines and remain outside the training area.

This weekend’s training event is actually the second exercise of its type held on Bainbridge in recent months. Local agencies conducted a similar drill last August at Bainbridge High School.