PORTAGE | Helmeted and heavily armed SWAT team members and police stealthily inched toward a hooded man crouching in the weeds in an empty field.

Across the radio frequencies, a blow-by-blow account of the incident was heard, "Shots fired, shots fired. Command, we have one subject, one undetonated device. We're going to extract."

The scene Saturday morning at The Port of Indiana was part of an annual emergency chemical drill designed to prepare the region's emergency responder teams to a possible real-life situation. Members of the Portage Police Department, Portage Fire Department, Porter County HAZMAT, SWAT teams, the Indiana Guard Reserve and the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor were present to assist in the exercise.

The scenario involved a chemical release by a "terrorist" group to contaminate a shipment of grain that was being loaded at the Port of Indiana. The "terrorists" also deployed small arms fire -- fireworks -- and hand grenades -- yellow and red smoke bombs -- to cause "collateral damage" to port personnel, workers and the public that could be present during an attack.

Key to the success of the exercise was the use of a new 800-megahertz communication system that allowed all members of the emergency teams to communicate together.

"This is supposed to pull everyone together communication-wise. We've been doing this for over 20 years and communication is always the No. 1 or No. 2 issue," said Dick Panton, member of the Local Emergency Planning Committee.

Voices over the radios let the players know how the scene developed.

"Intelligence is telling me the subject is in the wood line," spoke one voice.

The commander responded, "We're going to make an assault on that wood line."

The drill, which is mandated by federal law, considered the full scope of a terrorist attack.

"We're simulating that they're attacking the port, they're disrupting the port operations and they are also causing fear with the public," said Greg Eckhardt, deputy director of environmental operations for Porter County.

Local hospitals also were on standby during the drill for the arrival of injured simulated players, and emergency dispatchers also performed in accordance with the exercise.