A disaster drill Sunday not only helped hospital personnel test their skills in treating victims of a deadly terrorist attack but also was a big step for a group of Girl Scouts looking to earn the Pennsylvania Nursing Exploration Badge.

The drill scenario was that a weapon of mass destruction attack in Pittsburgh caused large-scale radiation contamination. The Pittsburgh hospitals are unable to handle all the victims, who are being sent to other regional hospitals, said Ronald E. Thompson, UPMC radiation exposure program director.

The drill involved 54 hospitals in the 13 counties of southwest Pennsylvania, region 13 of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Working Group. United Community Hospital, Pine Township, and Sharon Regional Health System also participated.

UPMC Horizon's hospitals in Greenville and Farrell focused on treating children, with Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts participating in Farrell.

In Greenville, 10 members of Girl Scout Troop 529 were made up with a variety of injuries: bandages on head wounds, unbandaged bleeding gashes, and blue makeup to signify radiation exposure.

Before the hospital's emergency staff could even specifically treat the girls' injuries, the girls had to be decontaminated.

A decontamination team set up a tent outside the emergency room, and special personnel in moon suits washed the girls, who wore bathing suits under their clothes, in 80-degree water for at least five minutes each.

"I thought it was pretty cool how they did it," said 11-year-old Kelsey Kirsch of Fredonia. "It was different. It was pretty cool how they had to do it and what they had to wear."

Alisha Anthony, 11, of Fredonia said she liked the decontamination shower, but added, "I didn't like having to get the stuff off because it's sticky." Alisha was made up to have a bleeding head wound.

A second part of the drill was to measure the disaster capabilities of each hospital. Each employee was contacted and asked if they could come to work and how long it would take for them to get there, Thompson said.

An Internet-based data collection system called the Facilities Resource Emergency Database compiles information on staffing, beds, equipment and medication, and the hospitals can send assistance to each other.

The Girl Scout troop was called because UPMC already is working with them to help the girls obtain the Pennsylvania Nursing Exploration Badge.

The badge, offered by UPMC, requires the Scouts to perform a community service project.

The badge was created as a way to try to interest girls in nursing. Pennsylvania is short of nurses.

"We'd like anyone interested in nursing to see what it's like," said Amy Higgins, health education specialist for UPMC, who is responsible for recruiting nurses.

UPMC will set up other activities that will help the girls earn the badge, she said.

Kelsey said the drill has piqued her interest in nursing.

"After this, I think it would be pretty cool to help other people," she said.