(PUEBLO, Colo.) – The last of the annual Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) exercises will be held on Wednesday, May 3, with testing of emergency alert systems, casualties of crashes and emergency vehicles.
This CSEPP exercise has been held annually for nearly three decades in Pueblo, to test participants’ response capabilities to simulated emergencies, which are then evaluated at the federal level. This will be the last CSEPP exercise for the community, as the program draws to a close with the destruction of chemical weapons at the Pueblo Chemical Depot nearing completion.
A joint press release from the Chemical Depot, Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), and CSEPP says nearly 2,000 people from multiple agencies are expected to participate in the exercise May 3.
Agencies include the American Red Cross, Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, First Student, local hospitals, Health Solutions, Pueblo School District 70, Pueblo School District 60, Pueblo Chemical Depot and more of a dozen staff from the Pueblo County First Response Agency.
The exercise will start at 9:00 a.m. and end in the early afternoon.
The exercise scenario will involve a simulated chemical incident at the U.S. Army’s Pueblo Chemical Depot and another unrelated emergency in Pueblo County, requiring the
activation of various emergency operations centers, the Joint Pueblo Community Information Center, and decontamination and treatment facilities.
“The annual CSEPP exercise is the culmination of effort and coordination between the Pueblo Chemical Depot and Pueblo County,” said Pueblo Chemical Depot Commanding Officer Col. Jason Lacroix. “This exercise validates our support to national and local emergency response teams in the event of a chemical accident or incident at the depot that could impact the local community.”
Two of Pueblo’s public alerting capabilities will also be tested during the exercise. The 22 outdoor warning sirens located in emergency areas surrounding the Pueblo Chemical Depot will be tested as part of the exercise. A test message can also sound during the exercise for nearly 800 weather alert radios, which warn those inside.
The public can view exercise-related activities at several locations in Pueblo County. Responders can be dressed in full protective gear, and mock accident victims will be given realistic injury makeup called a cast. Emergency equipment and vehicles will be deployed to various sites including Pueblo Mall, Runyon Sports Complex and Colorado State University Pueblo.