Members of Sandoval County Fire and Rescue, including the Office of Emergency Management, participated in a CO2 Tabletop Emergency Drill conducted by Kinder Morgan, which manages the Cortez pipeline that runs through portions of Placitas and other areas of the County. This proactive drill provided an open dialogue among local and tribal governments, First Responder agencies, and Kinder Morgan as to how a pipeline rupture by a third party would be addressed. 

The exercise was extremely beneficial to the Sandoval County Fire and Rescue team to help them understand the best practices in an emergency of this magnitude. The team also learned about the prevention measures that Kinder Morgan takes, including monitoring and inspections, to confirm the integrity of the pipelines to ensure community safety. The drill was held October 20, 2022, at the Santa Ana Star Casino Hotel.