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Summit County first responders to participate in mock wildfire exercise

Wildfire mitigation panel to talk tips on eve of countywide exercise

Farmers Insurance, in coordination with Servpro of Summit, Lake and Eagle counties, will host a wildfire mitigation panel from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 29, in the Buffalo Room at the County Commons, 37 County Road 1005 in Frisco.

The focus of the panel will be wildfire preparedness and will feature local first responders, including Dan Schroder, director of the Summit County CSU Extension Office; Joel Cochran, director of Summit County Emergency Management; Matt Benedict, wildland coordinator and captain with the Red White and Blue Fire District; Jody Acres, of the American Red Cross; Dianne Trausch from Farmers Insurance; and Carolanne Powers from Servpro.

The panel will discuss how to be prepared in the event of a wildfire. The event is free and open to the public.

Beginning at 9 a.m. Friday, May 30, the Summit County Office of Emergency Management — in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service, local fire districts, the Summit County Communication Center, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, the town of Breckenridge and multiple first-response and public agencies — will conduct an emergency preparedness exercise to test local wildfire-response plans.

The two-day event will run until 10 p.m. Friday and from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 31.

Simulations will revolve around a wildfire scenario in the Upper Blue River Valley, in which a fire is being driven by wind toward Breckenridge. The exercise will include a variety of exercises over the two-day period.



A Wildfire Preparedness & Education Fair at Summit High School, from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, will offer the public a chance to get information on wildfire readiness programs. Attendees also can participate in a simulated community meeting of the incident management team regarding wildfire operations and evacuations.

The fair also will have a children’s bouncy house, firefighting equipment and informational stations, including “Ready, Set, Go!” defensible space, evacuating/sheltering pets, the American Red Cross and food provided by the Salvation Army.



The exercise will take place in several locations, including the County Emergency Operations Center, St. Anthony Summit Medical Center, Summit High School, Colorado Mountain College and neighborhoods in and around Breckenridge, including the Peak 7 area.

The exercise is designed to test real-time emergency response and coordination among fire districts, law enforcement and various support agencies.

An emphasis will be placed on evacuations, public warning and public information, resource ordering and incident management.


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