Was an emergency drill in Colorado a dry run for an 'election year variant' of a bioweapon?

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - Are we in for another election year surprise in the form of another biological event, such as in 2020? Perhaps an “emergency drill” in Colorado last week may be pointing in that direction. Or, maybe, it was just what it was advertised to be–a disaster exercise. 

The Colorado Springs Gazette reports that three city hospitals–Penrose, St. Francis, and St. Francis-Interquest–worked alongside the FBI on an unannounced bioterrorism exercise held simultaneously at all three locations. The drills were announced as designed to test the response of hospitals, public health agencies, and law enforcement to a bioterrorism attack. This particular exercise centered on a substance called “botulinum toxin, one of the most poisonous naturally-occurring substances–placed in the local milk supply,” the outlet reported. 

FBI Special Agent David Autrey said botulinum toxin is one of the most challenging substances to detect, which was why it was used in this simulation. 

“It can’t just be identified in the field. Samples need to be taken, and laboratory analysis needs to be done,” Autrey said. 

Autrey said the toxin can be found in many substances, including water, certain types of soil, plants, and milk. Levels found naturally are not typically harmful to people, he said, however, in a situation where multiple people show up at the ER complaining of identical symptoms, healthcare facilities need to understand that something unusual is occurring and ensure proper authorities are notified. 

“Our goal is to be ready to respond appropriately and have [a] good recovery,” said Andrew Ritz, VP of operations for the three hospitals. “We need to understand how (botulinum toxin) presents, how to identify the signs and symptoms, and then get the right parties involved.” 

Autrey said the FBI works in partnership with hospitals, typically after the facility notifies state health officials, who then contact the FBI. 

After being notified, the agencies work to analyze samples obtained from patients and conduct interviews to determine if a planned attack caused the outbreak. 

“We try to do the interviews together because (Public Health) may ask different questions than I do,” Autrey, a weapons of mass destruction investigator, said. “They are epidemiologists, so they’ll ask questions I might not think of. I’m an investigator, so I’ll ask questions they might not think of.” 

Drills such as the one conducted last week are one of a number conducted by the hospital system holds throughout the year. Other drills include simulated plane crashes, large-scale fires, and other mass casualty incidents. 

“Drills like these help us focus on three areas: readiness, response, and recovery,” emergency preparedness manager Sara Baird said. “Our goal is to observe how the emergency departments communicate with one another, activate incident command, report to infection prevention, and the Public Health.” 

“We want to do better all the time,” assistant nurse manager Alex Nuttall said. “We want to respond as best as we can, we want to evolve and grow. That’s why these drills are so important.” 

The drills are designed with real-world outcomes, including patients who die. For example, last week’s drill saw two “emergency patients” who “died.” 

“Unfortunately, that’s one of the things that can happen in these situations,” Nuttall said. “Sometimes you lose a patient, and it’s important to know what to do when that happens, including how to handle the body and how to properly inform family members.” 

The ultimate goal of conducting such exercises is to keep casualties to a minimum should a real-life situation occur. Participants said that seeing common symptoms among victims, recognizing their meaning, and contacting the proper agencies can help mitigate a situation so that it doesn’t become a catastrophe. 

“There’s a host of issues that could come up at any hospital,” Ritz said. “So it’s really about being ready for these scenarios and having the processes in place so we can be responsive to them, in the right way, and as fast as we can.” 

So, in the event the “election year variant” of some kind of biological weapon is unleashed on the American people, federal agencies and health organizations are getting prepared.