FORT CARSON, Colo. – Fort Carson tested its emergency response time, recovery systems and capabilities during its annual full-scale exercise April 10, 2024.
The scenario was a wildfire that started off the installation by Highway 115 burning over 1,000 acres. The fire jumped onto the installation by the South Navajo Village housing area and Evans Army Community Hospital. Child care centers, the hospital, two housing villages, an elementary school, golf course, the 71st Ordnance Group and the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) were all evacuated. Pre-evacuation orders were issued for two additional child care centers, two schools and six more housing villages. During the evacuation process, there was a simulated traffic accident involving two vehicles.
“This is a full-scale, externally evaluated, exercise that tests Fort Carson’s response to emergencies the installation may experience,” said Col. Sean Brown, Fort Carson garrison commander. “It gives me the opportunity to test all of the garrison systems and other installation systems to best safeguard the Soldiers and their Families.”
The purpose of the exercise is to ensure the right procedures are in place and can be followed in an emergency setting.
Since there was no real fire the Fort Carson Fire Department couldn’t be completely evaluated, but Brown noted he was really testing the process and procedures established across the garrison directorates and how they work together to contain the situation, shorten the duration, and speed the recovery so Fort Carson can get back to its mission.
A wildland fire is Fort Carson’s top threat to the installation, Brown said. This was evident from the real brush fire that happened two weeks prior to the exercise, which he said makes these exercises that much more important.
“I’d rather get something wrong during the exercise than get it wrong during a real emergency,” said Brown.
The exercise had been in the works for almost a year, Brown said. As part of the exercise, Fort Carson included role players and other smaller situations while the scenario was unfolding.
“We had over 180 role players in total. Roughly, 130 acted as (housing) residents needing to evacuate and the other roughly 50 were Emergency Family Assistance Center role players requesting assistance with specific needs,” said Emily Gregory, exercise and plans specialist, Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security. “We then had one role player act injured for the traffic accident and two smoke inhalation victims walk into the hospital in the afternoon.”
Brown noted it’s one thing to practice procedures notionally on paper, but having an exercise where the pieces are moving “allows us to see the friction that is natural in any operation.”
Part of the planning was coordinating assistance with Fountain Fire Department and four K-9s and their handlers from Go Team Dog to assist in the response of a simulated traffic accident.
Brown shared his appreciation for the surrounding communities who participated in the exercise. “Fort Carson doesn’t do anything by itself,” he said.
The garrison commander set three clear training objectives heading into the exercise. Brown said his focus was on the garrison’s ability to react, shorten the duration and recover from the impacts of the situation.
“If it takes 12 hours or 24 hours, we are going to train to the standard not the time limit of the exercise,” said Brown.
Social Sharing