NATCHEZ — Local emergency responders will contend with a plane crashing into a school bus today.

Officials will have to contain a chemical spill, and injured children will be rushed to the hospital.

In fact, it’s planned.

The Natchez-Adams County Airport will play host to a community disaster drill today.

The scenario is constructed, of course. A crop-duster full of chemicals won’t actually crash into a school bus, and no children will really get hurt.

The idea is to give local emergency responders a chance to practice the unexpected, American Medical Response operations supervisor Tim Houghton said.

The ambulance service is heading up the drill, with Natchez Community Hospital, the Natchez Fire department, Adams County Sheriff’s Department, Metro Ambulance, the airport, the school district and the county emergency management agency participating.

“The whole purpose of the drill is to make sure we’re all knowledgeable to the same degree, that we’re all speaking in the same terms and operating on the same page,” Houghton said.

Responders will set up a central operating station and practice the chain of command and working together.

The drill is aimed at testing the response abilities of all agencies, he said.

“This is not the usual,” Houghton said. “The everyday is a cardiac patient for us or a structure fire for the fire department.

“The usual is not an event that is going to stress your resources. That’s what we have to do. We have to test our abilities to respond to that event and still maintain coverage for all that usual stuff.”

Local youth groups volunteered to play the parts of wounded students, Houghton said. Those deemed “critical” will actually be transported to the hospital and “treated,” he said.

After the drill, in roughly a week or so, all the agencies will get together and compare notes as to how it went, to see what worked and what didn’t.

Hopefully, the drill will be a learning experience for everyone and help prepare all the agencies, Houghton said.

“This is something they haven’t faced,” he said. “They’re going to get tested. We’re going to see what we can do. Then, we’ll provide correction on the test.”

The drill is scheduled to start at 8 a.m. today.