About the Vigilant Guard Exercise
From June 12-15, the Wyoming National Guard demonstrated their strength and readiness to the state of Wyoming and beyond through the Vigilant Guard Exercise. And on June 14th, Wyoming 211 had the opportunity to show our disaster readiness to the state during this exercise as well. “The purpose of this comprehensive emergency response exercise was to provide an opportunity for local, state and federal assets to come together and work together to build responsiveness, partnerships and preparedness throughout the state of Wyoming to any natural or manmade disaster that might occur,” said Lt. Col. Jonathan Seelye, Battle Joint Director of Military Support, Wyoming National Guard. Alongside military personnel, first responders, critical stakeholders, and Wyoming 211 sprung into action.
How Wyoming 211 Prepared
To get ready for this important exercise, Sabrina Lane (Wyoming 211’s Executive Director) spent hours developing a disaster response plan where Wyoming 211 acted as a critical communication link between emergency management professionals and the public-at-large. Throughout the exercise, Wyoming 211 executed the disaster response plan by providing accurate and timely disaster related information and referrals, disaster response support, crisis intervention and human services coordination to individuals impacted by the simulated disaster scenario, which was a flood in Natrona County. Our call center team showed unwavering strength and dedication to the exercise as it tested our response capabilities.
What Wyoming 211 Learned from the Vigilant Guard Exercise
The Vigilant Guard exercise helped us refine our processes, build relationships with other emergency management teams, and generally build capacity toward helping Wyomingites on their worst days. Through the exercise, new bonds were formed, capabilities were tested, and confidence in our public safety community were strengthened. In all, Vigilant Guard was more than just an exercise- it was a declaration of our readiness and resilience, and our determination to overcome any challenge that may come our way.
