The Boulder County Commissioners, with support from the Boulder Sheriff, awarded $485,158 in grants this spring to local search and rescue and emergency response agencies.

• Boulder County is giving money to five search and rescue and recreation/trail safety service providers in rural and mountain areas.
• The money comes from the Emergency Services Sales & Use Tax that Boulder County residents voted for in 2022.
• To receive this information in another language, call or email Barb Halpin at 720-564-2830 or bhalpin@bouldercounty.gov.

Boulder County, Colo.—The Boulder County Commissioners have authorized the distribution of $485,158 in awards for the second round of search and rescue grant allocations from the Emergency Services Sales & Use Tax approved by voters in 202 as Issue 1B.

A total of five grants were approved for the spring round of grants to agencies that provide either search and rescue services or help make trails in rural Boulder County safer to use.

The awards were recommended by the Emergency Services Grant Program Advisory Committee, a volunteer group of nine Boulder County residents with extensive emergency response, firefighting, and search and rescue experience.

Caption: Volunteers provide information at Eldora Mountain Resort to warn backcountry skiers and hikers about the dangers of (and ways to help prevent) avalanches. (Photo courtesy of Friends of Colorado Avalanche Information Center.)

Grant Awards

For the spring round of grants, the Emergency Services Advisory Committee was tasked with making funding recommendations for search and rescue and recreation/trail safety service providers in Boulder County.

The Boulder County Commissioners, with support from the Boulder County Sheriff, approved grants for these five organizations:

1) Boulder Emergency Squad – $319,550

Funding for urgent capital and equipment needs to sustain and enhance rescue services in Boulder County. This request covers facility upgrades, a new UTV, extrication tools, Unmanned Aircraft System improvements, communications enhancements, and essential wildland Personal Protective Equipment—investments that will strengthen emergency response and enhance safety for both rescuers and the public.

2) City of Longmont/Button Rock Preserve Watershed Ranger Team – $25,650

Updated radio equipment to improve trail user safety at Button Rock Preserve, a public recreational area located northwest of Lyons in unincorporated Boulder County. Button Rock Preserve is adjacent to Boulder County Open Space and National Forest land, making it a key partner in coordinating trail safety and emergency response throughout the region. Enhanced communications will bolster the Watershed Ranger team’s emergency response capabilities by enhancing radio communications and expanding year-round access.

3) Colorado 4x4 Rescue and Recovery – $10,000

Mileage reimbursement for CO4X4’s volunteers to help offset fuel costs incurred during incident response in Boulder County.

4) Friends of Colorado Avalanche Information Center – $7,368

Funding for Trailhead Outreach Program activities in Boulder County for the 2025/2026 season. This funding will enable at least eight in-person trailhead visits originating in Boulder County, where staff will offer free avalanche safety education to backcountry users at high-traffic access points.

5) Rocky Mountain Rescue Group – $122,590

Upgraded radios and snow rescue equipment to enhance emergency response capabilities in Boulder County. This includes replacing outdated radios to meet county standards and upgrading a snowmobile and trailer for winter rescues and severe weather operations—improvements that will support safer, more effective missions in remote areas for both residents and visitors.

Announcement:

Fire Protection Districts in Boulder County will be able to apply for more than $1 million in Emergency Services Grants in the fall of 2025.

The 2025 Fall Grant Pool is open to fire districts that provide emergency services in mountain and rural areas of Boulder County.

Applications are expected to open in early- to mid-September. Sign up to receive information about future rounds of grants and other emergency services grant updates. (You can unsubscribe at any time.)