National Guard Members from Six States Participate in Mock Disaster Drill
DENVER—Members of the Colorado National Guard will take part in “Vigilant Guard,” a mock disaster exercise on Wednesday, July 24 between 2 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the University of Denver. The exercise, which will span from Colorado Springs to northern Denver between July 22 and 26, will test the preparedness and response capabilities of local, regional and federal agencies in the event of a real crisis.
The joint training exercise will center around a scenario simulating a chemical, biological or radiological emergency. Organizers caution that the event is a significant exercise and the local community can expect to see emergency responders on the southern portion of the University of Denver looking and acting as if it were a true disaster.
“The goal of this exercise is to improve collaboration between the agencies involved,” said Mark Wilson, University of Denver’s Manager of Emergency Preparedness. “It’s only a drill, but it’s also a very real test of their ability to respond to an actual disaster. We are pleased to offer our cooperation to all of the people involved in this exercise.”
The full scale mass-casualty drill taking place at the University of Denver is one of three scenarios taking place simultaneously in the city of Denver. The other two events are taking place at Bonfils Blood Center and at Coors Field. National Guard civil support teams from Colorado, Nevada, Idaho, North Dakota, New Mexico and Utah are also participating in the exercises.