The exercise, which began June 14, is designed to improve national and local emergency preparedness against terrorism. It was conducted locally through the Chemical Terrorism Response Laboratory of the state Department of Health's State Laboratories Division.

The exercise followed a scenario involving a mass-casualty chemical terrorism incident originating in eastern Oregon.

The Chemical Terrorism Response Laboratory participants provided surge analytical services, received and analyzed clinical specimens and reported analytical results to the Oregon State Public Health Laboratory.

The exercise timeline was designed to match the expected response to a real disaster as closely as possible. In the scenario, the people were not infectious or contagious.

Public health departments from Hawai'i, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Florida, Arizona, California, Mississippi and Montana participated and practiced their emergency communications, specimen handling and shipping and timely chemical analysis and reporting of test results.

Practicing with another state during training prepares all states to help each other in case of a real attack, officials said.