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CORVALLIS, Ore. - A large-scale bio-hazard emergency response drill will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 31, at Oregon State University, featuring numerous agencies and organizations.

The drill will include law enforcement, fire departments, hazard response units, uniformed Oregon National Guard members and others, and will alter some campus pedestrian and automobile traffic, organizers say. The drill will last most of the day.

Sackett Place and Intramural Way will be closed to foot and most vehicle traffic in the morning and afternoon of Aug. 31, and the Campus Way bike path (where the covered bridge is located) will have higher-than-usual vehicle traffic in the morning.

The drill has been organized by OSU's Environmental Health & Safety office as a way to coordinate responses among the different agencies and departments and be equipped to handle hazardous scenarios if they should arise.

In this scenario, a fictional biohazard situation will be reported at a campus residence hall (Cauthorn) and the responding units will have to deal with reports of student illness as well as biohazards.

Among the agencies participating are: local fire departments; the 102nd Civil Support Team of the Oregon National Guard, Hazmat Team 5, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Oregon State Police; the Oregon Department of Public Health; Benton County Health Department; OSU emergency response team; Good Samaritan Hospital; OSU Student Health Services, University Housing and Dining, and OSU's Environmental Health & Safety office.

For questions or more information, contact OSU biological safety officer Matthew Philpott at 541-737-4557.