Colorado Springs first responders, military hold mass contamination exercise focused on disabled residents

In the aftermath of nuclear detonations, high-rise buildings falling or other mass contamination events, residents can be greeted by masked military members asking them to get in line, strip down and shower in mobile trailers.

"You can't see them, you can barely understand them," explained Lt. Col. Wes Sumner, of the military members that would rush to the scene to help. Sumner manages an office within Northern Command tasked with preparing for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear contamination in cities across the country.

For residents who need wheelchairs, service animals, oxygen and any other assistance because of their disabilities, the process of decontamination could be even more complicated and scary if they are asked to leave equipment they rely on behind because it cannot be immediately decontaminated.

Professionals from El Paso County Hazardous Waste, the Colorado Springs Fire Department and a specialized unit of the National Guard gathered Thursday to work with residents with disabilities on how to best serve them in any incident that would require mass decontamination. Officials from Northern Command, the Air Force Academy and Peterson Space Force Base also attended the exercise, said Scott Stephens, hazardous materials coordinator for El Paso County.

Volunteer Kathy Screen walked through the decontamination process with her oxygen and her cane, pointing out issues she saw with the process along the way. A clear issue, jumped out at her right away.

"They took my cane to decontaminate it. ... I went to grab for a guard rail and there was no guard rail," recalled Screen, who has cardiac and spinal health problems.

She also noted they would likely have to take her oxygen concentrator in a real scenario and a solution for that was not yet in place.

The exercise also raised other questions for first responders and the military such as:

• What happens when you have to remove a hearing aid?

• What happens if someone relies on American Sign Language?

• What can be done for those who need to be placed on a backboard to soften it? Screen suggested foam for the backboards, in part to protect delicate necks.

Throughout the process, Screen, an advocate for those with disabilities, was impressed with how open everyone seemed to listening to her and the other volunteers.

"They were so nice and concerned with trying to understand. They were open to any suggestions. ... It's a great first step," she said.

The Colorado Springs event was based on work that Sumner's office within Northern Command organizes to prepare for major contamination events in cities all across the country in case troops from the National Guard, reserves and active duty need to arrive within 96 hours. The focus on better serving those with disabilities was identified following an event in Atlanta, Sumner said.

"This is the time that we can have problems and and feel like we're all in a safe environment where we can ask questions, where we can make those mistakes, and not cause harm, and find the gaps in our processes," said Lt. Col. Eric Miller, with Northern Command, who was a main planner for the event.

The technical problems raised by Screen are examples of the kinds of gaps exercise was looking to identify.

First responders know that residents have to leave every piece of equipment, such as wheelchairs, canes and hearing aids behind during the decontamination process. The questions lie in providing a short-term solution for those people until equipment can be returned or replaced. Providing canes or walkers is fairly easy, replacing other equipment like specialty power-wheelchairs is much tougher. The exercise is a starting point to help write policies for the future.

During a real contamination event, those with disabilities would go straight into medical care where some of their needs would be met following decontamination, Stephens said.

The officials are also exploring other forms of communication for those who might be hearing impaired, such as signs, Sumner said.

For the first responders who work with the residents with disabilities on an ongoing basis, the event was also intended to offer an opportunity to understand the perspective of those with disabilities.

Miller said he hopes that it helps to overcome stigma and stereotypes associated with those who have disabilities.

"They don't have a worse-case scenario, they just have a different way of experiencing life," said Miller, who learned about this perspective after his son went blind.

Contact the writer at [email protected] or 719-429-9264.

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Mary Shinn has worked at The Gazette since 2020 covering city hall, local politics and environmental issues. Previously, she worked for The Durango Herald from 2013 to 2020 covering city hall, education, environment and agriculture. In 2013, Shinn was a News 21 fellow and worked on an investigative series focused on veteran's issues.

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