To date, more than 273 individuals have been participating in these planning efforts, the largest single emergency planning effort of its kind. More than 87 organizations, NOT including the additional 65 acute care hospitals located the 13-County area are already participating. Monthly meetings are held the 3rd Thursday of every month immediately following meetings of the regional emergency management coordinators. We are all linked by e-mail and through use of a recently developed, secure website, contributed by Carnegie Mellon University.