Residents of Broomfield can expect to see an unusual flurry of activity around the Broomfield Bay Aquatic Park on Wednesday, October 8, as local authorities engage in a full-scale bioterrorism attack exercise. The day-long drill, running from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., is part of a coordinated effort to bolster the region's readiness in the event of an actual bioterror incident. This operational exercise is being spearheaded by the Adams/Broomfield HAZMAT Authority in partnership with several local agencies, including the Broomfield Police Department and the Colorado National Guard's Weapons of Mass Destruction, 8th Civil Support Team.
According to the City and County of Broomfield, this event is just one component of a larger, regional exercise that encompasses activities from October 7-9. Participants in this vital preparedness endeavor include the North Metro Fire, Broomfield Public Health and Environment, and Broomfield Office of Emergency Management, among others. Although primarily centered within the City and County’s Emergency Operations Center, the presence of emergency response teams at the aquatic park is expected to be quite visible to the public.
Notably, the objective here is to rigorously test the area's capability to effectively handle a bioterrorism threat, focusing on key operational aspects such as "surveillance and detection abilities, system-wide coordination, risk communications, [and] incident consequence management," the City and County of Broomfield articulated. The Bay in Broomfield is not alone in this effort; similar HAZMAT team activities will be observable at specified locations in Arvada and Centennial.
