Three hospitals based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, namely CommonSpirit Penrose, St. Francis Hospital, and St. Francis Hospital – Interquest, jointly carried out a full-scale mock bioterrorism drill to amplify their emergency preparedness. The unexpected exercise was organized in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and aimed to equip the hospital staff with the critical skills needed in a real-life bioterrorism scenario.
During the simulation, patients presented themselves with symptoms that are often misinterpreted, including difficulty breathing, slurred speech, muscle weakness, trouble swallowing, double vision, and others. These symptoms were indicative of poisoning from a botulinum toxin which, in the course of this exercise, was suggested to have been deliberately introduced into the milk supply.
FBI Special Agent David Autrey expressed that no drill could be executed flawlessly, and each drill serves as a learning opportunity for continuous enhancement of handling such critical situations. The FBI’s involvement intended to examine potential collaborative approaches and resources useful to hospitals preparing for such events.
The drills further strengthened preparedness in three core aspects: readiness, response, and recovery, highlighting the focus on bioterrorist actions. The underlying aim was not only to observe the communication within the Emergency Departments but also to monitor the activation of the Incident Command, along with the reporting to Infection Prevention and Public Health. Sara Baird, the Emergency Preparedness Manager at Penrose and St. Francis Hospitals, emphasized the importance of this exercise and the valuable involvement of the FBI in its execution.
After the drills, a prompt head-to-toe review, or ‘hotwash’, of the exercise was executed to evaluate its successes and identify potential areas of improvement, thus addressing the encountered challenges. This immediate examination intended to bolster the response efficiency in the event of a real bioterrorism event.