VIDALIA — Riverpark Medical Center, 107 Front St., Vidalia, will be under siege on Tuesday afternoon with sheriff’s deputies, police officers, ambulances and other emergency workers on the scene, but never fear it will only be a drill.

The street will be blocked in front of Riverpark,” said Karen Martin, director of nursing for Riverpark Medical Center. “We don’t want to scare anybody, so that’s why we are letting people know.”

The drill, designed to simulate an active shooter incident, will start at 2 p.m. Tuesday and last until approximately 5 p.m., organizers said.

All Concordia Parish first responders and emergency workers will be involved, Martin said, including the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office, Vidalia Police Department, AMR ambulance service, Vidalia Fire Department and Concordia Parish Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness personnel.

The drill, organizers said, will test and help improve the community’s overall preparedness for an emergency event and will include volunteers who act as victims for emergency workers to care for.

“The incident is not real,” said Stephanie Petty, RN, Riverpark Ambulatory Surgery Center. “However, the response activities during the fictional exercise will be practiced in a manner that is as realistic as possible as emergency teams, state and local officials and other government agencies and private sector partners will be participating.”

Organizers said the parameters of the drill site will be clearly marked and will not be open to the public.

“We ask for your patience and support if the exercise disrupts your daily routine,” Petty said.