The Oregon State Public Health Laboratory (OSPHL) Laboratory Response Network (LRN) for Public Health Preparedness program assists sentinel laboratories by providing training and support in specimen collection, storage and shipment, evidence-control measures and recognition of chemical and biological terrorism agents.

 The Oregon LRN is a statewide network of clinical, food testing, veterinary diagnostic and environmental laboratories (referred to as sentinel labs) that can provide a coordinated and immediate response to biological and chemical threats.  These facilities are likely to be the first to recognize illnesses or outbreaks resulting from a bioterrorism or chemical terrorism event.

• The role of the microbiology sentinel lab is to refer suspected BT agents to OSPHL for identification.
• The chemical role of the sentinel lab is to alert proper authorities and ensure that clinical specimens are appropriately collected, handled and processed for shipment to CDC or a LRN-C lab as directed by OSPHL.

Oregon LRN maintains a secure website where sentinel laboratorians can access information about LRN alerts, messages, and news that concerns lab preparedness, training and procedures.

• Access the secure site here,  or click on "Secure Login" on the left menu column of this page.

Quick Reference

• Oregon LRN Biological Event Response
• Oregon LRN Chemical Event Response

CDC Links

• Emergency Preparedness & Response
• Laboratory Information
• National LRN
• Facts About the LRN