We’ve been operating on several fronts all week for the Monument Fire.

  • Licensing made sure that facilities in the area had executable evacuation plans and knew who to contact if they needed to evacuate.  They also made sure that the facilities that remained open had enough staff.  Fifteen facilities relocated patients and residents this week.  Most are ready to go back, and our licensing team has 8 reopening inspections scheduled for tomorrow.
  • Behavioral Health has been working with Cenpatico to make sure they have what they need to mount an effective response during this week’s evacuations.  Cenpatico mobilized numerous counselors and psychiatrists to visit shelters.  They’re also operating a 24-hour crisis phone service for folks to call.  Twenty three behavioral health clients were evacuated from their homes this week- clinical teams were contacted for each and their needs are being met (and all are staying with friends or family).
  • Public Health has been running our operations center and sending representatives to the state operations center.  Environmental Health has been helping with information for shelters about health effects from smoke and food safety.  WIC has been actively reaching out to their clinics and clients in the area to make sure they’re safe and have what they need.

The firefighting teams made a great deal of progress after Monday this week- and we’ll most likely discontinuing our response activities next week.  We were several steps ahead the whole time.   Well done everybody!