A wildfire simulation setup by the La Plata County Office of Emergency Management last week looked at what businesses should do in the event of a wildfire.
Businesses in Bodo Industrial Park, located in south Durango, were asked to simulate an evacuation setting in which a wildfire was heading toward the industrial area.
The simulation gave La Plata County officials an idea of how to prepare Bodo Park businesses. It also allowed the county’s emergency operations center and 911 dispatch center to practice evacuation protocols.
“The Bodo area was picked because (it has) so many businesses,” said county spokesman Ted Holteen. “So often, we’ve evacuated Falls Creek and we’ve evacuated different subdivisions here and there, but we really wanted to focus on the businesses this time.”
On April 24, city, county and state officials entered the county’s office of emergency management, where television screens featured mocked-up images of a fire heading toward Bodo.
First responders sprang into action, immediately going through its process for fire preparation and evacuation. About 100 businesses participated in the event.
“Alignment and communication, that’s always a goal for us,” said La Plata County Director of Emergency Management Shawna Legarza.
Through the simulation, Legarza learned several businesses were not signed up for CodeRED alerts. CodeRED alerts are an electronic emergency notification system that enables local public safety personnel to notify residents and businesses of emergencies that may require action.
Legarza said many people have CodeRED notifications for their homes but not their businesses.
“There’s room for improvement there,” she said. “Corporate businesses are required to have an emergency plan.”
She said businesses don’t need to have an elaborate plan. It could be as easy as working with county and fire officials to ensure everyone is safe.
Businesses experiencing a wildfire emergency are advised to call 385-8700, an emergency line operated by the county that provides residents with information about wildfires and other natural disasters, including information about evacuating – if necessary.
The county also advises businesses to search social media, listen to the radio and/or check local news broadcasts for fire reports and evacuation information.
In the event the 911 dispatch center must evacuate, operations would be moved to the county administration building in downtown Durango.
Bodo’s value risk is at $165 million, which is another reason why it would be a major loss if fire came through and did substantial damage to infrastructure.
But more than that, the business park employs a large number of people. If a wildfire ripped through that economic hub, it could leave several hundred people without jobs and diminish services throughout the region.
tbrown@durangoherald.com
