Emergency management officials from Cumberland and York counties are planning a series of exercises over the next several months to test the response capabilities of county teams, state and federal agencies and area hospitals.

The first exercise will be held at the Thomas Room in South Portland on May 20, beginning at 9 a.m.

A larger-scale exercise will be conducted at four or more locations in York and Cumberland Counties on Sept. 19 and 20. These exercises will test about half of the state of Maine’s regional hazardous materials response teams, four communities in southern Maine and up to six southern Maine hospitals over a 30-hour period.