FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, Dec. 31, 2021
CONTACT: Colorado National Guard Public Affairs, ng.co.coarng.list.militarysupport@mail.mil, 720-250-1053
CENTENNIAL, Colo. – Under executive authority, approximately 56 members of the Colorado National Guard are supporting traffic management during the Marshall Fire response in Boulder County, Colorado.
Gov. Jared Polis declared a state of emergency which authorized the use of unarmed CONG assets for law enforcement purposes supporting direct consequences of this event.
“People are our first priority,” The Adjutant General of Colorado, U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Laura Clellan said. “In the midst of the longest activation in our states history supporting the COVID-19 response our dedicated CONG members are adequately prepared and trained to support the Boulder County, Superior and Louisville communities during this tragic event. Our hearts go out to those affected, we are neighbors and we’re in this together.”
At the direction of the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office and State Emergency Operations Center the CONG will assist with traffic control, security operations, and evacuation of displaced community members from the areas affected by the disaster.
Additionally, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has requested support to COVID-19 testing due to increased lines at testing centers.
Around 200 CONG members will augment personnel around the state to assist with the testing operations surge for the next 31 days beginning Jan. 1, 2022.
More than 100 CONG members are already assisting the SEOC and CDPHE with vaccine and medical planning, vaccine site management, building and managing urgent care outreach, medical analysis of COVID-19 trends, and support to the CDPHE state laboratory in Denver, Colorado.
Joint Task Force-Centennial’s COVID-19 task force, initially activated March 13, 2020, has been on duty for more than 650 days supporting the state with testing, contact tracing, planning, and vaccine transportation and distribution during the longest emergency response in Colorado history.
The CONG continues to protect the force, families and all Americans while maintaining readiness for state and federal missions.