(10/14/06) BETHEL ? Health officials from Bethel and Redding ran a drill testing the departments? emergency response capabilities Saturday.

The health departments of Bethel and Redding organized the mock emergency at Bethel Middle School. They set up a triage center, trained patients to reveal fake symptoms and even used translators when necessary. The scenario of the drill was an aerosol version of pneumonic plague distributed at three separate concert events. One fake patient says it took only 14 minutes to be in and out of the triage center with the proper antibiotics.

Department officials say the drill is very important. They say responders would not want a real emergency to be the first time they go through these exercises.