photo by: Nick Krug

An emergency response crew member wearing a hazardous material suit helps an actor playing the part of a woman experiencing breathing troubles because of exposure to chemicals during a large-scale disaster training exercise on Thursday, June 18, 2015 at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

If your schedule is open Tuesday morning — and you’re up for being “decontaminated” and covered with blood-like makeup — Douglas County Emergency Management could use your help.

The agency needs about 50 volunteer actors for a large-scale training simulation to help local emergency responders practice handling a transportation-related hazardous materials incident with mass casualties. Organizers say the training will involve numerous local agencies, from law enforcement and firefighters to hospital and public works personnel.

“This event helps our first responders and other associated partners practice responding to a major disaster so that they can get better at protecting you, the members of the community,” said Kate Dinneen of DCEM.

They need people to play victims and their family and friends. In particular, they’re looking for volunteer victims who have disabilities, have service animals or are non-English speakers. Volunteers need to be available from 7:30 or 8 a.m. to noon, and will be asked to report to one of two sites, the simulated incident scene at the Rotary Arboretum, 5100 W. 27th St., or Lawrence Memorial Hospital, 325 Maine St. You need to wear a swimsuit — one piece, please — because emergency crews will be stripping clothes off to “decontaminate” you or treat your “injuries” (in a real-life situation, organizers say, victims would be stripped naked).

Volunteers must sign up in advance, preferably by Sunday. Do that and learn more about the exercise here.

Organizers aren’t sharing details in advance of exactly what’s being simulated. After all, the people in charge of handling such an emergency would have a not-so-realistic advantage if they read details of a major unexpected event in the Journal-World ahead of time.

“We don’t want the responders to know too many details,” DCEM spokesman Bob Newton said. “Part of what the responders are exercising is their ability to respond, assess and mitigate whatever it is.”