Abstract
Following a school-bus crash in 1993, involving 59 young people, the major incident alert (Majax) was called for the health services. The response of the mental-health workers is described immediately after the event and for the subsequent months. Reflection on the responses has enabled the Majax plans to be informed more adequately. This includes the suitable preparation of counsellors, the usefulness of psychological debriefing, the importance of close liaison with school staff and good interagency cooperation.