SUMMIT COUNTY — Thursday’s test of emergency access across the newly closed Dillon Dam Road was a big flop, Summit County officials said.
“It’s extremely slow,” said Brandon Williams, a spokesman for Lake Dillon Fire-Rescue. “If you’re in the back of an ambulance having a heart attack, these new procedures are going to add minutes, when minutes mean life or death.”
Denver Water, however, thought the test went well.
“To our knowledge, (the) tests were successful,” spokesman Stacy Chesney said. “If Summit County has concerns, they have not expressed them to us directly.”
Denver Water announced the closure of the 1-mile road across its dam Tuesday, then closed the road at midnight. Summit County officials have cried foul over the loss of one of just three cross-county routes. The utility said security of the dam is paramount.
Thursday, emergency responders found the new procedures would require them to call one of three numbers to summon a Denver Water security guard to unlock barricades on the road. Joey Bunch, The Denver Post
