North Central Region Regional Wildland Fire Full Scale Exercise May 19-22

NEWS ADVISORY

Exercise Media Contact: Bethany Urban, Public Information Officer This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
720-938-0996 (cell)

North Central Region
Regional Wildland Fire
Full Scale Exercise

May 19-22, 2016

The North Central Region (NCR) Regional Wildland Fire Full Scale Exercise is a multi-jurisdictional exercise designed to support long-range planning and preparation for wildland fires in key risk areas. The exercise emphasizes operational coordination (such as resource ordering and mobilization) and transfer of command. The exercise will simulate three simultaneous wildland fire ignitions in three different counties (Douglas, Jefferson, and Boulder) and the management of those fires. Multiple jurisdictions are performing numerous roles, and exercises are managed and supported by public safety professionals and volunteers from all ten of the North Central Region counties which include Adams County, Arapahoe County, Boulder County, Broomfield County, Clear Creek County, Denver County, Douglas County, Elbert County, and Gilpin County. In addition, the State of Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management will support the exercise by activating the State Emergency Operations Center and providing resource support to the impacted local governments. Other key participating entities in the exercise include The U.S. Forest Service, The American Red Cross, The Salvation Army and The Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center. The exercise will take place May 19-22 at various locations in Douglas, Boulder, and Jefferson counties.

This exercise is sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) State Homeland Security Grant Program through the State of Colorado to the North Central All-Hazards Region in partnership with the Denver Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI).

These drills are part of a regional building-block process and the learning objectives are based on lessons learned from previous exercises along with real world events. These particular drills are designed to establish a learning environment for response to potential escalating wildland fire situations during forthcoming wildland fire seasons. The performance based exercises contribute to the development of fire-wise communities through preparation and evacuation exercises.

LOCATION AND PARKING DIRECTIONS FOR MEDIA:

The NCR Regional Wildland Fire Full Scale Exercise will be held in multiple locations within Douglas, Boulder, and Jefferson counties. An overview map of exercise areas is attached.

MEDIA: Please contact the exercise PIO for inquiries related to this exercise (see front page of advisory) and to receive detailed location and parking information for each day.

On Thursday, May 19th, exercises will begin at 9AM in locations in Douglas County.

On Friday, May 20th, exercises will begin at approximately 8AM in locations in Boulder County and Douglas County.

On Saturday, May 21st, exercises will begin at 8AM in locations in Jefferson County and Boulder County.

On Sunday, May 22nd, exercises will begin at 8AM in locations in Jefferson County.

EXERCISE OBJECTIVES:

The NCR Regional Wildland Fire Full Scale Exercise objectives include:

Test resource mobilization plans to achieve effective operational coordination from mobilization through continued management, prioritization, and demobilization.

Test local mutual aid plans and procedures.

Test the Delegation of Authority and transfer of command process for an escalating situation.

Assess interoperability of communications including dispatch centers, radio users, systems, and equipment.

Test systems of notification, public information, and evacuation assistance (evacuation of both people and animals).

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

The North Central All-Hazards Emergency Management Region is one of nine emergency preparedness and response regions within the State of Colorado. The North Central Region (NCR) is organized around ten counties and their member jurisdictions: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Gilpin, and Jefferson.

One purpose of the NCR and UASI is to improve region-wide emergency preparedness, response and homeland security capabilities through coordinated planning, training and exercise efforts. This exercise is evidence of the growing public safety partnership between regional emergency response agencies.

The NCR conducts a minimum of one large-scale exercise each year. The planning committee has been developing the 2016 wildland fire exercise since early 2015. Past exercises have included terrorism events, tornadoes and flooding. Upcoming exercises will include a focus on active threat, cyber-attack and pandemic scenarios.