On Friday and Saturday, May 20 and 21, a full-scale training exercise will be held in partnership with Boulder County agencies, the City of Boulder, Boulder Office of Emergency Management and the Boulder Incident Management Team. The training exercise will involve more than 25 agencies, more than 300 participants and will exercise all elements of a wildland fire incident from the initial response to mass care management.

You may see and hear personnel and equipment associated with this training exercise, which will include helicopter flights, in and around the following locations:

• Mine Lane Road and Carriage Hills, near BMFD Fire Station 1
• Wonderland Lake and Dakota Ridge subdivisions
• Boulder Reservoir
• Boulder First Church of the Nazarene (2801 Jay Road)
• Boulder County Fairgrounds, Longmont

In the training exercise scenario, a fictitious wildland fire starts in Boulder Mountain Fire Protection District on a hot, dry, windy summer day. The fire advances quickly and will cause immediate evacuation of residents and threaten homes. The City of Boulder will be involved in the scenario when spot fires cause a threat to the Dakota Ridge and Wonderland Lake neighborhoods.

This is a good reminder that all residents should also make sure they are prepared for any potential disaster by having their own preparedness plan. Having a pre-developed emergency plan, putting together an emergency kit and understanding how to stay informed is essential to a resilient community.

For more information about preparing for a disaster, please visit: www.BoulderOEM.com/disaster-preparedness.

For more information about the full-scale exercise, please contact the Office of Emergency Management at 303-441-3390.