It's only a drill: CSU holding on-campus emergency simulation Thursday afternoon
Colorado State University will be hold an emergency simulation training on the north side of its Fort Collins campus from 12:30-4:30 p.m. today.
As part of the simulation, two dorm buildings — Parmelee Hall and Durward Hall — will be evacuated as the drill simulates realistic fires.
CSU staff, CSU police, safety and risk services, housing and dining services and Poudre Fire Authority are all involved in the simulation and will be responding to the staged emergency.
The university is recommending people avoid the north side of main campus Thursday afternoon because the simulation will include "activity that appears to be a real emergency," according to a press release. Smoke machines will be simulating a structure fire, actors will be performing different responses to the emergency, including "physical injury, emotional duress (and) noncompliance" and first responders and staff will react as if the emergency is real, engaging with both participants in the drill and spectators.
Parmelee and Durward halls are on the south side of West Laurel Street, which lines the northern boundary of campus. Passersby can expect to see the drill from Laurel if traveling between Shields Street and Loomis Avenue.
Nick Sweeton, associate executive director of housing and dining services, said his department does a simulation like this annually and at least three evacuation drills per building per year. The drills are designed to build up the responders' "muscle memory," he said, so that if a real emergency happens they "spend less time organizing a response because they've already built the skills to effectively respond."
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Molly Bohannon covers city government for the Coloradoan. Follow her on Twitter @molboha or contact her at mbohannon@coloradoan.com. Support her work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: CSU conducting emergency simulation drill Thursday afternoon
