Colorado National Guard specialized teams assist local, state partners with COVID-19 response
CENTENNIAL, Colo. – By order of Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, about 50 Colorado National Guard members have been mobilized and are on State Active Duty to support the State Emergency Operations Center and Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment with medical support and logistics at drive-up COVID-19 testing centers in various communities throughout the state.
The CONG’s 8th Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Team and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and high-yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package are supporting San Miguel County at an appointment only drive-up testing center in Telluride March 17, 2020.
The CONG will provide support in other Colorado communities that the state designates during the next 10 days.
“The National Guard has unique capabilities that can provide our state additional resources to combat COVID-19,” The Adjutant General of Colorado U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Mike Loh said. “Most of the personnel responding now are our state’s resident-trained and equipped experts in biological hazards.”
Both CONG teams are based at Buckley Air Force Base, Aurora, Colorado. They are armed with personal protective equipment.
Approximately 30 Soldiers and Airmen are also serving in their full-time roles supporting the CONG operation from Joint Force Headquarters in Centennial, Colorado.
This is a dynamic situation, and the CONG will continue to adapt to ensure that we can accomplish our assigned missions which include assisting with testing and testing support and advising our local and state partners with validated tactics, techniques and procedures for future screening missions in Colorado.
Our first priority is to protect our people while supporting our local and state partners to prevent suffering and save lives.
The CERFP’s mission is to assist local, state and federal agencies to conduct consequence management with capabilities to search and extract casualties, decontaminate patients, provide emergency medical services, and maintain communications, command and control at an incident site.
The CST is a full-time force available 24/7 to support civil authorities at a domestic CBRNE incident site by identifying CBRNE agents/substances, assessing current or projected consequences, advising on response measures, and assisting with appropriate requests for additional follow-on state and federal military forces. Units can also provide immediate response for intentional and unintentional CBRNE or hazardous material releases and natural or manmade disasters that result in, or could result in, catastrophic loss of life or property.
For information about testing locations, hours and operations, please contact the CDPHE HELP Hotline 877-462-2911 or check out the CDPHE website at https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.colorado.gov_pacific_cdphe_2019-2Dnovel-2Dcoronavirus&d=DwIFAg&c=sdnEM9SRGFuMt5z5w3AhsPNahmNicq64TgF1JwNR0cs&r=fQf2K8W1OAJ1DAepL49iDt5a53fcOLIiLOchBjm-eWw&m=FxSRZdikNppZg7giKcOuZT9y0zrQw9Clxs-_JpTp2ho&s=MNcr2lO4Fjqf1koPFO7wzzndEN6tqimm6X0AeC98b_I&e= .
The state of Colorado has a new website with updated information available at https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__covid19.colorado.gov_&d=DwIFAg&c=sdnEM9SRGFuMt5z5w3AhsPNahmNicq64TgF1JwNR0cs&r=fQf2K8W1OAJ1DAepL49iDt5a53fcOLIiLOchBjm-eWw&m=FxSRZdikNppZg7giKcOuZT9y0zrQw9Clxs-_JpTp2ho&s=oG31HApzd7AVxI4G_1Ka30UlxTtZHwKygbJ3dqueypY&e=
