Douglas County representatives will participate next week in a state and national exercise designed to simulate a bioterrorist attack.

The exercise, called Prairie Plague 2002, is designed to help local, state and federal authorities respond to a widespread public health emergency. It will be conducted Wednesday and Thursday.

Teams from nearly every Kansas county will meet in Topeka’s Maner Conference Center. State agency representatives will participate from the State Defense Building’s emergency operations center.

Federal agencies will participate from the Federal Emergency Management Administration regional center in Kansas City, Mo., and the Office of Homeland Security in Washington, D.C.

Those attending from Douglas County: Sheriff’s Office, Capt. Bob Van Hoesen; Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical, Peter Houston and Bill Brubaker; Health Department, Kay Kent, Barbara Schnitker and Kim Ens; Emergency Management, Bob Newton; Evan Ice, county counselor; and County Commissioner Charles Jones.

A representative from Lawrence Memorial Hospital is still to be selected. Douglas County Emergency Management Director Paula Phillips will attend but won’t participate.