CENTENNIAL, Colo. – The Colorado National Guard and state agencies will conduct a winter storm response exercise Oct. 19-20 at Joint Force Headquarters.
The exercise will test capabilities and procedures, along with decision-making and coordination during a response to a winter storm affecting Denver and northeastern Colorado.
“When military and civilian partners train together, that enhances our disaster response posture,” said Brig. Gen. Gregory White, director of the Joint Staff U.S. Air Force. “Knowing how to work together is an important part of being ready.”
Agencies participating in the exercise include the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Denver Office of Emergency Management.
The Colorado National Guard has assisted civil authorities during some of the most massive snowstorms in the Denver area, including the record-setting blizzard of 2003 and Winter Storm Wesley, a bomb cyclone that stranded thousands of motorists with its high winds and heavy snowfall, in 2019.
The Colorado National Guard will prepare for search and rescue of stranded motorists and pets, shelter resupply, wellness checks, livestock feeding operations, distribution of supplies and imagery requests.
Guard equipment available for winter storms includes helicopters, light medium tactical vehicles, heavy expanded mobility tactical trucks, and small unit support vehicles.