Gunnison County and Gunnison Valley Health to Host Full-Scale Mass Casualty Incident Drill

On Saturday, October 22, 2022, Gunnison County Emergency Management and Gunnison Valley Health will host a joint agency mass casualty incident drill. The drill is intended to test and improve the readiness of agencies within the Gunnison Valley to respond quickly and effectively in the event of a major disaster. The drill is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. and will include Gunnison County Emergency Management, Gunnison Valley Health Paramedics, Gunnison Fire, the Gunnison County Sheriff’s department, the Crested Butte Marshals, Crested Butte Fire and EMS, Gunnison Valley Health and the U.S. Forest Service.

The drill will start in Taylor Canyon at the Five Mile Bridge before moving to the hospital. While the drill is in progress on County Road 742, there will be no major impacts to traffic through the exercise site. Variable message signs will be deployed on both sides of the exercise, advising motorists to use caution and slow down. Delays for through traffic will be minimal. During the entirety of the exercise all emergency and medical services will remain operational.

“Please do not hesitate to seek medical care or call 911 if you need assistance,” said Gunnison Valley Health Paramedics Chief CJ Malcom. “Although there will be a large number of personnel participating in the exercise there will be no impact to emergency response; law enforcement, EMS and medical providers will still be there for anyone who needs us.”

Gunnison Valley Health is currently seeking anyone aged 7 and up interested in volunteering to be a part of the exercise and act as a disaster victim. The goal is to recruit volunteers of varying ages and abilities in order to best simulate a real-world scenario.

“Our community is comprised of people of differing ages and abilities, and we need to ensure that we are prepared to support everyone,” Malcolm said. “By recruiting a diverse group of volunteers, we have an incredible opportunity to improve our support of every individual no matter the situation.”

The time commitment for volunteers is 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. with food and transportation to the drill scene provided. If you are interested in participating as a volunteer, please visit https://bit.ly/GVH_Volunteer.

If you have questions about this joint agency exercise, please contact Gunnison County Emergency Manager Scott Morrill or Deputy Emergency Manager Lisa Clay at 970-641-2481 or Gunnison Valley Health at 970-642-8417.