Emergency Services Grant Program

The Emergency Services Grant Program is funded by the Boulder County Emergency Services Sales and Use Tax. Grants are awarded annually in the spring and fall to help fill funding gaps related to search and rescue, emergency medical assistance, and trail and trailhead safety in rural and mountainous Boulder County.

Grants can be applied toward:

• Capital, including facilities and equipment, and operational costs of search and rescue organizations that can assist the County in responding to emergencies.
• Trail and trailhead safety services to increase emergency response and public safety on public trails and open space/recreational areas in Boulder County.
• Innovative pilot program proposals to enhance emergency response and public safety on public trails and open space/recreational areas in Boulder County.

Semi-Annual Grant Rounds

Grants are awarded annually to help enhance emergency services and trail and trailhead safety services in Boulder County.

Boulder County runs two grant cycles per 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:

• Spring – Search and Rescue and Trail/Recreation Safety Service Providers in Boulder County;
• Fall – Fire Protection Districts Serving Mountain and Rural Boulder County communities.

*The schedule for grant rounds may change from year to year.

Awarded Grants by Agency or Category of Service

• View Grants by Category of Service or Request (e.g., lifesaving equipment, radio communications, etc.)
• View Grants by Agency and Agency Type (e.g., fire district, search and rescue, or trail safety organization)
  • Jump to Fire District Grants
  • Jump to Search and Rescue and Trail/Trailhead Safety Grants

News and Updates

• Boulder County Commissioners Award Nearly $500K in Emergency Services Grants Awarded to Local Search and Rescue Agencies (Spring 2025)
• Boulder County Approves $1.3 Million in Emergency Services Grants for Local Fire Protection Agencies (Fall 2024)
• More than $700K in Emergency Services Grants Awarded to Local Search and Rescue Agencies (Spring 2024)
• Boulder County Awards $1.6 Million in First Round of Grants (Fall 2023)

Staff Liaison

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

Stay Informed

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The Emergency Services Sales and Use Tax was approved by voters as County Issue 1B in 2022.

Revenues collected since January 2023 from the tax help provide financial assistance to underfunded or under-resourced organizations providing emergency services—such as firefighting or search and rescue—in the rural and mountain areas of Boulder County.

Emergency Services Grant Program Advisory Committee

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. The committee reviews two grant cycles each year. Read more about the advisory committee…