FREEPORT - The first test of the area's preparedness for chemical-related emergencies has encountered some obstacles: Several warning sirens couldn't be heard, communication was poor and a police car ran out of gas.

"The purpose was to find problems with the system," said Jon Kiggans, manager of magnesium production at Dow Chemical Co., one of 11 chemical companies in southern Brazoria County that pooled their resources to develop the emergency response program.

The 9 a.m. Tuesday drill based on a hypothetical release of 20,000 pounds of ammonia showed that the companies' Community Awareness and Emergency Response program needs fine tuning and more emphasis on community awareness, said Dow spokesman Tim Scott.

"The biggest problem we're having is getting the community involved," said Scott. "The people have to be aware of what to do in case there is a release."

Bugs in emergency communications also have to be worked out.

Red Cross officials were notified at 9:25 a.m. and the staff at Brazosport Memorial Hospital wasn't informed of the drill until 9:40 a.m.

The local radio station, the main source of information in case of an emergency, broadcast that the drill was under way but did not carry follow-up reports, officials said.

The emergency response program, still in its infancy, is a long-term commitment by the area's chemical industry to ensure the safety of 80,000 residents in the southern portion of the county.

"It makes us nervous because we're admitting up front that something can go wrong," said BASF plant manager Bill Moran.

The program was initiated after more than 2,000 people in Bhopal , India were killed as a result of a gas leak from a Union Carbide plant.