Montrose, CO— Montrose County would like to notify its community members of a full-scale emergency exercise that will take place at the Montrose Regional Airport (KMTJ) on the morning of August 29th.  The tri-annual exercise is part of both the airport’s and county’s emergency operations plans in order to be prepared for any number of incidents and comply with federal guidelines. Community members can expect to see several emergency vehicles staged at the airport and on the runway as part of this exercise. 

Emergency Manager Scott Hawkins and Montrose Regional Airport staff will be coordinating the exercise with participation from the following agencies: Montrose County Sheriff’s Office, Montrose County Coroner, Montrose County Public Works, Montrose County Public Health, Montrose County Human Services, Montrose County Sheriff’s Posse, Montrose Police Department, Montrose Fire Protection District, Montrose Regional Health, Transportation and Security Administration (TSA), American Red Cross, Colorado State Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Olathe Fire Protection District, WestCO Dispatch, and local airlines.

This exercise will begin around 9:00 am and is expected to last until 12:00 pm. There will be no impacts to airport passengers or traffic while the exercise is occurring. During this time, several emergency vehicles will be present at the airport in support of this drill. Questions may be directed to Montrose County Communications Director Katie Yergensen at 970-964-8701.