Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment conduct PHED-EX test

It’s a situation we see in the movies all the time: A breakout of a deadly disease and the world isn’t prepared.

But hospitals across Colorado are making sure that’s not the case, as they team up to conduct a drill testing their ability to handle a major outbreak.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is calling the test the PHED-EX test; which stands for the “The Public Health Emergency Dispensing Exercise”.

It’s designed to test the state’s ability to effectively implement its emergency response plans during a mock outbreak of a highly infectious disease.

In particular, the exercise will focus on the state’s ability to mobilize and distribute resources including antibiotic medications, gloves, gowns and masks to specific places around the state.

As part of the exercise, the state has transported supplies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s federal strategic national stockpile.

The drill will be running today through Saturday.

You can read more about the test here.