Stage 1 Fire Restrictions, effective Aug. 12, 2025, for unincorporated western Boulder County.

Visit the Boulder County Ballot Measures website for information about possible 2025 ballot measures.

Emergency Services Advisory Committee
Injured people being rescued off the side of a mountain and in a rushing stream by emergency responders

Emergency Services Advisory Committee

Next Meeting Dates:

The next meeting of the Emergency Services Grant Program Advisory Committee (ESGPAC) is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 26, virtually, from 6-8 p.m. Members of the public are invited to observe all ESGPAC meetings.

Join the Aug. 26 Emergency Services Grant Program Advisory Committee virtually by Zoom

The Emergency Services Grant Program Advisory Committee (ESGPAC) provides recommendations to Boulder County regarding the grant program portion of the Emergency Services Sales and Use Tax.*

Emergency Services Grant Program Advisory Committee

Grants are awarded annually to help enhance emergency services and trail & trailhead safety services in unincorporated Boulder County. The committee reviews two grant cycles each year.

One round of funding is dedicated to fire districts that serve the mountain and rural areas of unincorporated Boulder County. A second round of funding is offered to search and rescue organizations that provide services in Boulder County.

Learn more about the grant program

Makeup of the Nine-Member Advisory Committee

The nine-member committee gives input twice a year to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office and the Board of County Commissioners on how the grant revenues should be spent. The committee consists of three at-large positions and six specific positions—based on experience, subject matter expertise, or residential location in Boulder County—as identified in the committee bylaws.

In addition to recruiting members with hands-on emergency services and search and rescue response, the county seeks the perspective of trail users, members of the accessibility community, and outdoor recreation enthusiasts. All committee members must be Boulder County residents.

Time Commitment

  • The committee meets virtually via Zoom on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 6 to 8 p.m. during the winter, spring, and fall.
  • Additional meetings are scheduled twice a year to review grant applications and make recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners. Meetings usually pause for the summer, with no sessions in June or July. Occasionally, the committee meets in person (in Boulder).
  • In addition to monthly meetings, members are expected to commit 8–10 hours twice a year to support the two annual grant award cycles.

Apply

*The Emergency Services Sales & Use Tax, approved by voters as County Issue 1B in 2022, provides funding to support underfunded or under-resourced emergency service organizations—such as fire departments and search and rescue agencies—serving Boulder County’s rural and mountain communities.

Staff Liaison

Email Barb Halpin at bhalpin@bouldercounty.gov or call 720-564-2830

For general emergency services grant questions, please email ESgrants@bouldercounty.gov.

2025 Committee Members

Three members-at-large:

  • Lynette Anderson (Member-at-Large)
  • Doug Hurst (Member-at-Large)
  • Harry Ross (Member-at-Large)

Specific positions:

  • Cynthia Bakke (Resident served by a mountain fire district)
  • Benjamin Hogan (Search and rescue organization representative)
  • Rick Sheingold (Current or previous employee with a fire department)
  • Maria Kuntz (Accessibility community resident)
  • Jodie Silva (Outdoor recreation organization representative)
  • Dennis Whalen (East county resident or resident served by a rural/plains fire district)