I have worked various hazmat drills here in my area. Wear the suit for play? Its hot and uncomfortable to say the least! SCBA involved, even more uncomfortable. In addition I found it claustrophobic.
I have played the contaminated patient. NO FUN, stripped outside of the facility, cold shower, no thanks for fun. As the "contaminated" patient, even though I knew it was a drill, being a "patient" with everyone in hazmat suits around me, it really freaked my psyche out. Gas masks also mess with my psyche. Oxygen masks are almost as bad. Wearing them, seeing them, about equal.
I have also acted as the concerned family member who shows up at the ER and its my job to make it seem real, that it is really happening outside of the drill. One of the ER teams that day who truly thought it was really happening, I was almost decontaminated that time for being suspected I had truly been exposed and contaminated the ER waiting room etc. I had one line I had to legally give, I only had to say it once to the first person I talked to. At that time it was "I am part of the drill". One of the teams at one of the hospitals brought in a social worker to calm "the concerned freaking out family member" down. Turned out a close friend of mine just got a new job, that job and had not yet told me. Made it tough for both of us to stay in character.
Hazmat play for fun, NO THANKS!
No, I don't participate in drills anymore due to my dangerous allergy to latex. I do all I can to eliminate to zero latex exposure as much as possible and still enjoy life.
Type of contamination drills were for agents found in high security military installations and weapons that had not been properly dealt with. I live in a state with those type of facilities.